SPOTLIGHT -
Hospital financial woes: Lagging volume, more claim denials, and debt concerns
Analysts say the recovery remains slow. Health systems are seeing higher costs due to battles with payers, and more leaders are worried about meeting debt obligations.
Memorial Sloan Kettering selects head of supportive care, and more | MED MOVES
Ochsner Health names a new chief community medical officer, and others step into new roles.
Rebuilding a strong and healthy nursing workforce | Viewpoint
Healthcare organizations must identify strategies to retain nurses while cultivating a robust pipeline to meet future demands.
Nonprofit hospitals should see more revenue in 2024, Moody’s projects
The investor’s service projects a 'stable' outlook for hospitals in the next year, but says high costs will remain 'a trouble spot.'
Children’s mental health crisis is ‘at risk of overwhelming the system’
More hospitals are treating kids and teens with behavioral health issues. Lawrence Moss, CEO of Nemours Children's Health, says the problem must be taken seriously.
Kaiser Permanente union workers approve new contract with 21% raises
A month after tens of thousands of workers went on strike, the union members voted in favor of a four-year pact which includes provisions to boost staffing.
Nemours Children’s Health CEO talks about improving the health of kids, and everyone else
In an interview with Chief Healthcare Executive, Lawrence Moss discusses helping kids get and stay healthy, investing in the right areas, and strengthening children’s hospitals.
Best Buy Health, Mass General Brigham partner to expand care at home
Mass General Brigham has been operating one of the nation’s largest home hospital programs. Best Buy has been teaming with more health systems.
Monica Bertagnolli is the new NIH director, and she’ll likely face more scrutiny
Health and research groups backed her, but Republicans have been critical of the agency. And Bernie Sanders questioned if she’d take on drug companies.
'Cancer care is different': Calling for better access and treatment
Harlan Levine of City of Hope talks about efforts to improve health equity and produce better outcomes for underserved communities.
Hospital-at-home programs see low mortality, study finds
Researchers with CMS found less than 1% of patients getting acute care at home suffered an unexpected death.
Nurses back legislation to set minimum staffing levels | Bills and Laws
The American Nurses Association and union groups are backing measures in Congress, which have stalled in the past. Lawmakers have debated similar measures at the state level.
Leapfrog Group Fall 2023 Grades: Hospitals reduce infections, but slip in patient experience
Leah Binder, the group’s CEO, says she was relieved to see improvement in infections. But she says health systems have work to do to protect patients.
Penn Medicine names CEO of Pennsylvania Hospital, and more | MED MOVES
Nemours Children's Health names a regional president, and other leaders take on new roles.
Hospitals welcome billions in 340B payments, but decry ‘claw back’ of funds
The government plans to offer lump-sum payments in a dispute that reached the Supreme Court. But health systems aren’t happy about future cuts.
UCHealth poised to complete acquisition of struggling Parkview Health System
It took longer than expected, but Parkview is joining the Colorado system next month. UCHealth is going to invest nearly $200 million in Parkview.
Doctors, hospitals denounce Medicare payment plans for 2024
CMS finalizes the physician fee schedule and outpatient payments, drawing plenty of criticism.
After assault of nurse, Lifespan launches public campaign to protect workers: Safer Hospitals
The Rhode Island health system is aiming to make a difference with its campaign, "ScottStrong: Keep Healthcare Workers Safe."
Safer Hospitals: Focusing on protecting staff and patients
In the coming weeks and months, Chief Healthcare Executive plans to shed light on efforts to reduce violence in health systems. An ongoing series of stories will look at ideas and solutions.
More than 88 million people have been affected by health data breaches this year
The number is already 60% higher than in 2022, federal officials say. Most of the breaches came from cyberattacks.
Medically Home CEO Rami Karjian talks about the growth of hospital-at-home programs
In an interview with Chief Healthcare Executive, he discusses the momentum for home-based acute care and what health systems should do to succeed with it.
CDC kicks off campaign to help hospitals address burnout in workers
The ‘Impact Wellbeing' initiative, developed with the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, is designed to give health systems tools to help workers.
Healthcare is ‘a team sport’ | Lessons for Leaders
Gary Stuck, chief medical officer of Advocate Health, talks about the importance of working together in hospitals and health systems.
Biden’s executive order on AI: What it means for healthcare
Among other steps, the Department of Health and Human Services will develop a safety program to address unsafe healthcare practices involving artificial intelligence.
There have been big steps in the fight against breast cancer this year, and more are needed
A national task force has lowered the recommended age to begin screenings, but doctors say some opportunities to help more women are being missed.
Outpatient services see surge in demand
More people are looking to get procedures done outside the hospital, according to a report from Strata and Syntellis Performance Solutions.
No deal: Sale of Mississippi hospital system isn’t happening
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System had been in talks to buy the Singing River Health System, but both sides have ended the negotiations.
What healthcare leaders should think about when pursuing new jobs
It’s important to consider career goals and what truly brings satisfaction, says Sonia Millsom, CEO of Oxeon. She says women should go for leadership roles, even if they aren’t sure they are ready.
Healthcare workers cite more burnout, and more are thinking of a career change
Employees say they have more days of poor mental health, and the percentage of workers who say they’ve been harassed has doubled, a CDC report says.
Half of working-age Americans have trouble paying for healthcare
Many Americans are skipping treatment and have medical debts of thousands of dollars, a Commonwealth Fund survey finds. Even some with insurance are struggling to pay bills.