The state's new Health Policy Commission is moving forward with a cost and market impact review of Partners HealthCare System's plan to acquire South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, the first test of its ability to influence the ongoing hospital consolidation trend in Massachusetts. A statement issued by the commission staff Wednesday afternoon said executives at South Shore and Boston-based Partners, which owns Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women's hospitals, were notified that the commission will examine how the proposed merger of the two highly paid health care providers is likely to affect costs and the state's health care market. The commission was created by last year's state health cost containment law as a watchdog to monitor changes in the health care market.

Having surgery to remove the tonsils and adenoids significantly reduces sleepiness and behavioral problems in kids who snore, but it does not improve their performance on attention and memory tests. That's the finding from a long-awaited clinical trial conducted by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, and elsewhere.