Month: December 2023

Consulting giant McKinsey & Company agreed to a $78 million settlement in a case over its role in advising opioid manufacturers designing misleading marketing campaigns. […]

Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) praised Gov. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) on Friday for his veto of a measure that would have banned gender-affirming care for minors […]

An Idaho state court rejected an attempt to dismiss a suit seeking to establish further exceptions to the state’s abortion laws on Friday. The case, […]

This April, when a 1,000-year storm drenched South Florida, my father and older sister were among the thousands of people abruptly hit with severe flash […]

Former President Trump said he “can’t believe” President Biden will be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, calling into question his character and cognitive abilities. “He’s […]

Sarasota (Fla.) Memorial Health Care System kicked off big projects in 2023 to add services, hospitals, freestanding EDs and urgent care centers. These facilities are […]

Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 have impaired brain function and were found to perform worse on cognitive, psychiatric and neurological tests overall, according to a study […]

New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health has cut its sepsis infection rates in half amid mounting pressures from the Biden administration for U.S. hospitals to […]

Devoted Health, a technology-focused insurance company for Medicare beneficiaries, raised $175 million in series E financing.

With just days until the new year, many hospitals and health systems have seen changes in their CFO leadership in December.

Liberty (Mo.) Hospital had its computer systems disrupted due to a cybersecurity incident. 

Hospitals and health systems around the country are being sued for their use of the pixel tracking technologies, which plaintiffs say shared their protected health […]

Mishawaka, Ind.-based Franciscan Health will open its $200 million Franciscan Health Crown Point (Ind.) hospital to the public on Jan. 28, according to a Franciscan […]

Feeling blue? Your employer might have an AI app for that, The Wall Street Journal reported Dec. 27. 

Anna Jaques Hospital in Newburyport, Mass., took its computer system and EHR offline after identifying a cyberattack Dec. 24, according to The Daily News.

The judge overseeing a Florida civil case made famous by a Netflix documentary has issued an order for the examination of a juror’s conduct during […]

Microsoft recently posted seven job openings related to its health business. Below are the open positions as of Dec. 29:

The patient experience has elevated as a priority for health systems over the last few years as patient expectations increased and competition for healthcare dollars […]

Grand Island (Neb.) Regional Medical Center, part of Lincoln, Neb.-based Bryan Health, named Drew Waterman CEO, effective Dec. 31. 

Continuing COVID-19 research, other emerging disease threats, and questions about just when the next pandemic may strike as well as concern over the nation’s preparedness […]

As COVID-19-era telehealth regulations expire, lawmakers and industry advocates aim to finalize telehealth regulations in three areas, Bloomberg Law reported Dec. 29.

Hospitals in South Dakota have the highest physician communication scores, while hospitals in Nevada have the lowest, CMS data shows.

Between 2021 and 2022, the median income in major U.S. cities increased by an average of 8.1%; however, in some cities, gains exceeded 20%. 

Nashville, Tenn.-based Advent Health Partners, a healthcare technology company, has been acquired by Hunt Valley, Md.-based Trend Health Partners, an independent healthcare payment integrity company.

Epic Systems is gearing up to unleash a wave of generative AI innovations in 2024, with more than 60 AI-related development projects in progress, a […]

A group of legislators representing Ulster County, N.Y., have urged Gov. Kathy Hochul to resolve the dispute with Westchester Medical Center Health Network to avoid […]

The world’s most popular search engine can serve as a powerful reflection of our collective health concerns. 

From an Iowa hospital pointing to a difficult EHR implementation for its bankruptcy to hospitals pushing back against Medicare Advantage plans, here are 10 of […]

Robert Boesch, DNP, RN, was named chief nursing officer of Atlanta-based Emory University Hospital, effective Feb. 5.

Sean Gregory has stepped down from his role as CEO of PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, Wash., according to a Dec. 20 Facebook post […]

Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger Health System reported an operating loss of $104.4 million in the nine months ending Sept. 30, a 52% improvement on the $215.8 […]

Carthage (N.Y.) Area Hospital and Ogdensburg, N.Y.-based Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center are taking legal action to recover patient data stolen in a September ransomware attack, local […]

Opposition from prominent Black and civil rights groups is threatening to permanently derail Biden administration efforts to ban menthol cigarettes.  The ban has also pitted […]

The post Resolutions and solutions: Health-care experts set goals for 2024 appeared first on Healthy Debate.

As COVID-19 and other respiratory infections rise across the country, some major health systems are bringing back mask requirements to stop the spread of infections.  […]

More stability is on the horizon for healthcare, which will give health systems an opportunity to innovate, transform and reclaim their culture, Greg Till, chief […]

Tulsa, Okla.-based Ascension St. John Hospital is launching a mobile digital positron emission tomography and computerized tomography system, local news outlet KJRH reported Dec. 28.

Health systems in Colorado, New York and Washington are seeking engineers to work in their health IT departments.

Greenwich (Conn.) Hospital’s lawsuit against the town’s planning and zoning commission for rejecting the hospital’s bid to develop a cancer care center has been dismissed […]

Bret Kolman will retire as CEO of Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence, Mo., in January 2024.

When patients are colonized with Candida auris, contamination of their surrounding environments can happen within just a few hours, according to the results of a […]

Portland-based MaineHealth has appointed Bradley Chapman as president of Memorial Hospital in North Conway, N.H., effective Jan. 2. 

Health IT startups raised $900 million in the third quarter of 2023, making it the second consecutive quarter of declining funding, according to a Dec. […]

Attleboro, Mass.-based Sturdy Health saw a $17.2 million total net gain for the 2023 fiscal year ending Sept. 30. 

The Department of Veterans Affairs said it is “committed to resuming the system rollout” of its Oracle Health EHR rollout, NextGov reported Dec. 28.

CDC data shows new COVID-19 hospitalizations increased for the sixth week straight, with nearly 26,000 admissions reported for the week ending Dec. 16. 

Indianapolis-based Indiana University Health saw $59.6 million in operating income during the three months ended Sept. 30, an 8.4% decrease on the $65 million reported […]

The FDA is warning clinicians and pharmacies about possible infection risks tied to counterfeit versions of the weight loss drug Ozempic. 

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Thursday he tested positive for COVID-19, amid a nationwide spike in infections.  The 82-year-old Sanders, said in a post on […]

Hospitals in Montana and South Dakota have the highest nurse communication scores, while hospitals in the District of Columbia have the lowest, CMS data shows.

Effective Jan. 21, Jason Foland, MD, will become president of the Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart in Pensacola, Fla., according to a […]

Health IT company DataLink projected eight trends in healthcare technology for 2024. Artificial technology dominated the trends list.

 A federal judge has temporarily blocked an Idaho law banning gender-affirming care for minors, The New York Times reported Dec. 27.

An Oklahoma man was arrested Dec. 26 after phoning hospitals in Tennessee and Ohio with threats to commit violence, according to local news sources. 

William Ermann plans to retire as CEO of Guymon, Okla-based Memorial Hospital of Texas County on March 30 after more than three years at the […]

Three health systems struck deals to outsource revenue cycle, health IT and other services with Optum in 2023. 

Cedar Park (Texas) Regional Medical Center has tapped Sean Tinney as CEO, effective Jan. 22. 

At the start of 2024, GSK is discontinuing Flovent, its popular branded asthma inhaler, and switching to a generic version. The generic is virtually identical, […]

Best Buy Health became a major player in healthcare over the last 12 months by partnering with some of the largest health systems in the […]

Viviant Healthcare of Murfreesboro (Tenn.) is closing its doors for failing to meet Medicare and Medicaid health and safety requirements, according to a CMS notice […]

Hospitals began 2023 with a median operating margin of -0.9%, but that figure has increased steadily month over month to hit 2% in November — […]

Twenty-two states and an additional 38 counties and cities will increase their minimum wage Jan. 1, and a report from the Economic Policy Institute estimates […]

From Community Health Network agreeing to a $345 million False Claims Act settlement to the sentencing of an orthopedic surgeon for his role in an […]

The last year, 2023, was the year of artificial intelligence in healthcare. Top executives from hospitals and health systems large and small dove deep into […]

CMS has corrected a technical error that displayed an incorrect 2024 outpatient prospective payment system payment rate for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (APC 5061), the American […]

Palo Alto, Calif.-based Stanford Health Care reported $414.9 million in operating income for the year ended Aug. 31, a 20% drop from the $518.1 million […]

GAINESVILLE, Ga. — In early December, Donald Brown stood nervously in the Hall County Courthouse, concerned he’d be sent back to jail. The 55-year-old struggles […]

Some hospitals sue patients who can’t afford to pay their medical bills. Such lawsuits don’t tend to bring in much money for the hospital but […]

The omicron subvariant JN.1 has been identified in at least 37 states and the District of Columbia as of Dec. 18, according to outbreak.info, a […]

Two-way communication is the key to physician relationships at Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare. 

Under the care of physicians at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a woman with a double uterus gave birth to two baby girls in […]

A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked an Idaho state law that would ban gender-affirming care for minors, just days before it was slated to […]

With some EHR installation costs climbing north of $500 million, a botched installation can seriously affect a health system’s bottom line.

Pediatric cases of respiratory syncytial virus led to more emergency hospitalizations than the omicron variant of COVID-19 and influenza, according to a study published Dec. […]

Many of the struggles that strained the nursing profession in years prior continued to do so in 2023, perhaps unsurprisingly to some. Multiple surveys on […]

B. Konard Jones will retire Dec. 31 from his role as president and CEO of Fairfield, Calif.-based NorthBay Health, with the former COO of Froedtert […]

When it comes to maternal health disparities, Sarosh Rana, MD, believes it’s time for institutions to walk the talk. 

Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente’s hospital at home program uses three different digital health platforms to manage patient care, document results and communicate with patients.

In 2023, health systems in Tennessee, California and Florida reported breaches affecting more than 1 million patients. 

From looking for new growth opportunities and partnerships to keeping an open mind to diverse points of view, Becker’s connected with four executives to ask […]

New York Attorney General Letitia James and New York City-based NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital reached a settlement, which calls for the health system to pay $300,000 for […]

NYC Health + Hospitals rolled out a new care delivery model in 2023 that entails designating one staff member on each unit as a “well-being […]

Artificial intelligence isn’t the only trend set to shape the landscape of work in 2024. Hybrid work and green hiring are other key trends that […]

Peter Paige, MD, became UVA Health’s inaugural chief clinical officer Dec. 11, marking a departure from his most recent role as the CEO of Albany […]

A federal judge in Alabama denied the Biden administration’s request to pause a lawsuit challenging the state’s transgender care ban while other courts, including the […]

Brookdale Senior Living has sold its 20% stake in the home health, hospice and therapy joint venture it has with Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare. 

Outpatient respiratory illnesses have risen again for a seventh week in a row, according to the CDC. COVID-19, flu and RSV cases and hospitalizations are […]

An existing asthma treatment shows promise for reducing food allergies in children and is one step closer to approval, which could come by the end […]

A five-day strike has ended involving members of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals from two Prime Healthcare hospitals; Norristown, Pa.-based Suburban […]

Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based Advent Health launched a new primary health division focused on whole-person care this year and is looking forward to modernizing and unifying […]

In an effort to expand its cancer treatment offerings, Bristol Myers Squibb plans to acquire RayzeBio, a radiopharmaceutical therapeutics company. The deal is worth $4.1 billion, […]

Watsonville (Calif.) Community Hospital, a publicly owned hospital approaching financial stability since emerging from bankruptcy, would use a potential $116 million bond to improve its […]

Brookdale Senior Living (NYSE: BKD) has sold its 20% stake in the home health, hospice and therapy joint venture it has with HCA Healthcare (NYSE: […]

Health IT company CareView Communications is expanding its partnership with an unnamed health system in North Texas.

From acquisition activity to a lawsuit from North Carolina’s attorney general, here are 10 updates on Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare Becker’s reported in 2023.

Amazon is looking for a healthcare strategy and transformation lead for Amazon Web Services, a position it has had listed since November.

Hospital margins appear to be stabilizing as 2023 comes to a close and health systems continue working through their turnaround strategies. As hospital margins and […]

A combination of the COVID-19 pandemic, physician shortages, and delays to receive in-person care have led to the boom of subscription-style healthcare services that promise […]

Heading into the week of Christmas, new hospitalizations and emergency department visits for respiratory viruses continued to rise nationwide. 

Stonecrest, Ga.-based Emory Hillandale Hospital, part of Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare, has announced $11 million in expansion and renovation updates to its Stonecrest facility, according to a […]

Congress passed just 31 bills that became law in 2023, a record low in modern times, Spectrum News reported Dec. 21. 

Beata Mastalerz, DNP, RN, was appointed executive director of Phelps Hospital in Tarrytown, N.Y., succeeding Eileen Egan, RN, who has retired.

Most hospitals and health systems (74%) are actively automating some portion of their revenue cycle operations with 46% of organizations using some form of artificial […]

Twenty-eight hospitals have converted to the rural emergency designation since the law that created the designation took effect in January 2023, according to data from […]

Twenty-one hospitals have converted to the rural emergency designation since the law that created the designation took effect in January 2023, according to data from […]

Nineteen hospitals have converted to the rural emergency designation since the law that created the designation took effect in January 2023, according to data from […]

Eighteen hospitals have converted to the rural emergency designation since the law that created the designation took effect in January, according to data from University […]

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is settling a religious discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, according to an EEOC Dec. 22 press […]

More than 1 million patients at Corewell Health may have had their information exposed as the health system’s population health management vendor, HealthEC, experienced a […]

Hospitals and health systems continue to invest in EHR platforms as the technology becomes more sophisticated for more coordinated care.