Business

Many hospital mergers over the past year have involved a party struggling financially. Some mega mergers could be in the works over the coming year as well.

Health systems have pressing priorities from the new administration and Capitol Hill. Lisa Kidder Hrobsky of the American Hospital Association talks about what hospitals are seeking in Washington.

The second Trump administration promises to bring changes that will affect America’s hospitals, with concerns about Medicaid funding, ACA subsidies, and potential higher costs with tariffs.

The Joint Commission appoints a chief legal officer, and others take new posts.

HCA Healthcare is selling the Regional Medical Center to Santa Clara County. County officials say they’re planning to restore some services to the hospital.

Health systems have reopened some outpatient facilities but some clinics are still not open.

Health systems and clinicians can’t ignore it or throw up their hands. Dr. Geeta Nayyar, author of ‘Dead Wrong,’ talks about battling misinformation on social media, building trust, and the business case for providers.

Gallup’s annual survey finds nurses continue a streak covering more than two decades. Doctors rate higher than most professions, but their support has dropped.

The Joint Commission recently issued an alert urging health systems to develop detailed plans. Elizabeth Mort and Kevin Zacharyasz of the Joint Commission talk with us about the ways hospitals should prepare.

The AMA spoke out against CMS’ planned increases in payments to insurers, which come amidst years of cuts in Medicare payments for physicians.

The health system and the state are embarking on an initiative to improve the health of kids in the Medicaid program. Nemours CEO Dr. R. Lawrence Moss talks about the effort and why it’s not for the faint of heart.

Lawmakers say private equity firms are focusing on profits, hurting hospital operations and patient care. A new study links private equity ownership of hospitals to declines in care.

Arnot Health and Cayuga Health announced their partnership and said the new organization is Centralus Health. The merged system includes five hospitals.

Many of the year’s transactions involved systems or hospitals on shaky ground. There were other noteworthy trends in mergers over the past year.

The wildfires have destroyed or damaged thousands of properties in the region. Some clinics have closed in evacuation zones, and one clinic was destroyed.

Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego and Children’s Hospital of Orange County have come together. The merged organization is now known as Rady Children’s Health.

Analysts from Fitch Ratings see reasons for optimism in the coming year. But they also don’t expect margins to return to pre-pandemic levels.

Citing ‘insurmountable financial challenges,’ the state attorney general has signed off on HCA Healthcare’s planned acquisition of Catholic Medical Center.

The Sharon Regional Medical Center shut down over the weekend, but others have expressed interest in taking over the hospital.

McLaren Health Care appoints a leader to a newly created role, and other leaders make news.

By helping providers, plans can optimize the functions that support risk adjustment while also building trust and fostering collaboration that support holistic care.

Sanford Health and Marshfield Clinic Health System have come together to create a 56-hospital organization. Marshfield becomes a region of Sanford Health.

Bea Grause, president of the Healthcare Association of New York State, talks about keys to leadership that she’s found valuable.

Concluding our review of the most-read stories of the year, the stories offer a snapshot of changes in the healthcare industry.

These stories on the patient experience resonated with readers over the past 12 months.

Lawmakers approved a stopgap bill to avoid a government shutdown, but Congress didn’t block Medicare payment cuts to doctors taking effect in 2025. The package doesn’t address prior authorization reform.

Sharon Regional Medical Center is poised to shut down. State and local efforts to preserve the hospital haven’t been successful.

Mercy names a physician as COO, and other leaders make news.

Vizient’s 2024 chief nursing officer wellbeing survey identifies leadership fatigue and secondary trauma as key drivers in burnout and turnover.

Lawmakers crafted legislation to fund the government and avert a shutdown. It includes a short-term extension for telehealth programs, but doesn’t block cuts in Medicare payments to doctors.