Some health systems are bracing to be caught up in the Trump administration's DEI executive order, which could upend their efforts to recruit a workforce reflective of the communities they serve.

Why it matters: Hospitals — and most of the health sector — have leaned into the belief that embracing diversity and inclusion can improve patient care, lead to better employee retention and make the health system more equitable.

Where it stands: President Trump's order last month called for the termination of DEI programs and policies not only within the federal workforce, but also among federal contractors.

• The question is whether hospitals or other health care entities will be regarded as federal contractors.
• "The government pays us very substantially through Medicare and Medicaid, so we could be identified as a government contractor, and so there may be policies that we have to assume based on what's handed down by the federal government," said Erik Wexler, CEO of Providence, a 51-hospital health care system.
• "I think there's a collective concern" about the order's impact on DEI efforts, he added.

The big picture: The order identifies "the medical industry" as having "adopted and actively [using] dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race- and sex-based preferences under the guise of so-called 'diversity, equity, and inclusion' (DEI) ... that can violate the civil-rights laws of this nation."

• The health care sector has indeed embraced DEI, especially in recent years as health care disparities have taken the spotlight post-pandemic.

Both health providers and payers could be affected, according to a memo from the law firm Venable.

• Historically, hospitals, physicians and other providers that are reimbursed by Medicare under Parts A and B haven't been considered federal contractors by the Labor Department. It's not clear whether the Trump administration will maintain this position, the memo adds.
• The order calls for a new contract provision in which recipients certify they don't operate any DEI programs. Contractors that maintain them could be liable under the False Claims Act, per the Venable memo.

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A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the administration to restore scores of health agency webpages and datasets that went dark to comply with executive orders on DEI and gender identity.

The big picture: District Court Judge John Bates granted a request from Doctors for America for a temporary restraining order, saying the physicians' group showed "substantial likelihood of success" on its claims that HHS, CDC and FDA acted arbitrarily and capriciously in removing the webpages.

• The group said the removed content helps guide practitioners, is essential to public health research and is key to preventing disease outbreaks.

Catch up quick: Thousands of webpages containing federal health guidelines and data went dark late last month. Some soon reappeared without clarity on what had been changed or removed — and with disclaimers noting that the pages could be further modified.

• Among the affected sites was CDC's website for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which hosts vaccine recommendations for kids and adults.
• Websites tracking issues including HIV prevention and transgender care were also taken down.

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More than half of American workers have chronic health conditions, and three-quarters of those workers have had to spend time managing their health on the job in the past year, a new Harvard poll found.

Why it matters: Employers can improve how they help workers with chronic health issues like hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and asthma — and there's a business case for doing so.

• "There is a major opportunity for the business community to play a greater role in supporting employees with chronic conditions, improving their well-being and performance, while reducing costly problems like absenteeism and turnover," a report on the findings stated.

State of play: Harvard's public health school and the de Beaumont Foundation in October interviewed 1,010 adults who work at organizations with at least 50 employees.

• 58% reported having a physical chronic health condition.

Zoom in: The majority of those (60%) said they haven't disclosed their illness to their employer.

• Most said they stayed quiet because they've been able to manage their health without telling anyone at work, and because they want to keep their health information private.
• But nearly 30% said they don't want their employer to think they're less able, while 18% said they worry they'd be passed over for work opportunities.

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The agency at the heart of AI safety is waiting for Trump to announce who he wants as its head, Maria Curi wrote first on Pro.

Why it matters: The National Institute of Standards and Technology establishes testing and guidelines for AI developers — including for systems used in health care.

State of play: A Biden administration AI executive order led to the development of guardrails for generative AI, guidance for auditing and a plan for global engagement.

• That work is waning, as Republicans signal they want a more hands-off approach to regulation.
• The administration is taking feedback on a new AI plan as incoming officials say they want standards.
• "NIST's work on developing voluntary AI standards enjoys broad bipartisan support from industry and policymakers," DLA Piper AI policy head Tony Samp said.

💭 Our thought bubble: Ensuring AI's trustworthiness could be a matter of life and death in health care.

• The industry has begun developing guardrails, such as through Coalition for Health AI, or CHAI, to guide insurers and health systems trying to get a handle on how to safely use the technology. The framework CHAI built off of was NIST's.

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🥼 Companies from Google to Salesforce are raiding hospitals for new hires and finding burned-out doctors ready to ditch the operating room. (Business Insider)

💉 A Minnesota hospital is testing the safety of a new vaccine combination to combat one of the deadliest pediatric cancers. (Star Tribune)

🤝 Trump's NIH is challenging the decades-old model pairing the federal government and research institutions that's made the U.S. the leader in scientific innovation. (WaPo)