1. 6 states set COVID-19 records this week Full story

2. Kentucky declares emergency over nursing shortage Full story

3. Omicron's spread + US strategy: 5 things to know this week Full story

4. Aligning people, policies + tech across sites can deliver impressive financial results. Click here to learn how CommonSpirit does it.

5. New research may answer why people who are overweight face severe COVID-19 risk Full story

6. Top Google searches related to health in 2021 Full story

7. EHRs are essential — but they won’t solve staffing issues. See how Hartford Healthcare found a simple solution.

8. Corner Office: The reason Cleveland Clinic Florida CEO rarely feels the need to recharge Full story

9. 3 ways racial bias and stereotypes affect clinical decision-making: KFF Full story

10. Medical schools saw record number of applicants in 2021: 6 takeaways Full story

11. Overworked call centers? Here's how Notable Health used AI to slash a health system's call volumes by 60%.

12. 7 efforts launched in 2021 to recruit, retain healthcare employees Full story

13. Parting thoughts from Emory leader Dr. Jonathan Lewin Full story

14. 25 states where the omicron variant has been detected Full story

15. Daily COVID-19 stats, state-by-state:

• Test positivity rates
• Percentage of population vaccinated
• Hospitalizations
• Death rates

Becker's Learning Opportunities

1. Telehealth moves beyond video visits for quick scripts. Learn why patient engagement apps lead to better outcomes + lower costs.

2. Health systems can't be consumer-friendly without complete data — learn more here.

3. Hefty fines for not complying with price transparency are on the way. Here's how hospitals can avoid them.