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Thanks to technology, Gary Sullivan enjoys a new kind of relationship with his doctor. If he wakes up with a routine health question, the 73-year-old retired engineer simply taps out a secure message into his doctor’s electronic health records system. His Kaiser Permanente physician will answer later that day, sparing Sullivan a visit to the clinic near his Littleton, Colo., home and giving his doctor time to see those with more urgent needs. (Levingston, 4/27)

A new study presented on April 25th at the American Surgical Association has identified five resources that mitigate the so-called “weekend effect” of longer hospitals stays, higher mortality rates and readmissions. This study has special importance given the government’s performance requirements for both Obamacare and Medicare to reduce the readmission rate and increase the desirable outcome rate for hospital surgeries and other treatments. (Leo, 4/27)