Study: CMS hospital readmission penalties made an impact

After the Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program was enacted, readmissions for heart failure, myocardial infarction and pneumonia decreased, according to a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

By Jeff Byers • Dec. 30, 2016

The optimism and challenges for putting the 'value' in value-based care

Providers describe a “sweet spot” between getting optimal quality and achieving that at a reasonable cost.

By Meg Bryant • Dec. 30, 2016

Explore the Trendline➔

Provider burnout

Hospitals are still struggling with provider burnout, after the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated underlying staffing issues and prompted workers to quit their jobs.

By Healthcare Dive staff

Working-age adults find it easier to afford healthcare under the ACA

Following the full implementation of the ACA, every state saw a drop in the uninsured rate, with states expanding Medicaid seeing the most dramatic improvements.

By Kathleen McGuire Gilbert • Dec. 22, 2016

769 hospitals take a fiscal hit over poor patient safety

The hospitals will face a financial penalty of a 1% reduction in their Medicare payments for one year. 

By Ana Mulero • Dec. 22, 2016

Education partnerships could produce better prepared healthcare employees

Healthcare organizations are having trouble filling many non-clinical, entry-level positions as many candidates don’t have the desired skills, according to a new Advisory Board Company report.

By Luke Gale • Dec. 22, 2016

EHR helped Nationwide Children's Hospital save $1.36M

The one-year pilot study led to fewer hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and urgent care visits.

By Meg Bryant • Dec. 22, 2016

Medicaid expansion delivers ED care more quickly, study says

Average travel time to emergency departments decreased by 6.2% in states that expanded Medicaid, which could help to improve outcomes and reduce costs.  

By Luke Gale • Dec. 21, 2016

Federal task force reveals evidence gaps in preventive health services

Areas where more research is needed include autism screening and aspirin therapy to prevent cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer.

By Meg Bryant • Dec. 20, 2016

OIG: Two-midnight rule can lead to inappropriate hospital billings

Hospitals have been billing less for short inpatient stays since the rule was implemented. However, there are still vulnerabilities in the policy that can lead to adverse billing consequences. 

By Luke Gale • Dec. 20, 2016

New Geisinger initiative digs deep into the wild, unstructured world of big data

The company has implemented a system that pulls data from previously siloed sources to gain new insights for patient care.

By Kathleen McGuire Gilbert • Dec. 19, 2016

Opioid-related hospitalizations and ED visits spike in US

Opioid-related ED visits increased by nearly 100% in one decade, highlighting the role of hospitals in the front lines of the opioid epidemic.

By Kathleen McGuire Gilbert • Dec. 19, 2016

Breaking the glass ceiling: Women in healthcare leadership

"It's the age-old conversation around pipeline," says Witt/Kieffer's Donna Padilla. "You have to build them to be able to grow them, to recruit them in."

By Meg Bryant • Dec. 19, 2016

Last independent hospital in southwestern Ohio set to join health system

Wayne HealthCare is considering a partnership with Premier Health, a system with six hospitals in Ohio. The move reflects the growing trend toward consolidation in healthcare. 

By Luke Gale • Dec. 19, 2016

Hospital Mergers and Acquisitions: Running List

An ACA repeal may cost hospitals billions, which could in turn lead to further consolidation among U.S. hospitals and health systems for more leverage with payers and to share costs.

By Ana Mulero • Dec. 19, 2016

20% of ER inpatient cases result in surprise medical bills

States with the highest rates of surprise medical bills include New York, New Jersey and Texas, according to a new study published in Health Affairs.

By Meg Bryant • Dec. 16, 2016

Study: The hospital quality gap is real

Based on their results, researchers said that making data on outcomes more transparent could encourage hospitals to more aggressively improve the quality of care they deliver. 

By Luke Gale • Dec. 15, 2016

Fire erupts on NYU Langone Medical Center campus in Manhattan

A thick plume of black smoke was observed when a blaze erupted Wednesday afternoon.

By Kathleen McGuire Gilbert • Dec. 15, 2016

Medisafe, major EHRs spotlight interoperable medication lists

A new report by Surescripts shows 93% of surveyed patients favor storing all their medications in one location.

By Meg Bryant • Dec. 15, 2016

Uncertainty. Opportunity. It'll all be there for healthcare in 2017, PwC says

While industry eyes will be on the White House next year, trends toward value-based care will continue, Trine Tsouderos, PwC's Health Research Institute director, told Healthcare Dive.

By Jeff Byers • Dec. 15, 2016

Carequality, CommonWell partner on interoperability, data sharing

The collaboration’s aim is to make it easier for providers to get health information that could be useful in making decisions about diagnosis and treatment for their patients.

By Meg Bryant • Dec. 15, 2016

Patient mix-ups a major drain on hospital revenues, physician productivity

Positive patient identification using biometrics could cut down on misidentifications, said respondents to a survey conducted by the Ponemon Institute.

By Meg Bryant • Dec. 14, 2016

Study shows link between met social needs, improved outcomes

Patients who participated in a social service resource program saw substantive reductions in cholesterol and blood pressure.

By Meg Bryant • Dec. 13, 2016

Humana CEO offers 5-point plan for curbing ER use

Primary care providers should act as the “quarterback” in the healthcare system, directing patients to specialists as needed and helping to reduce unnecessary ER visits, CEO Bruce Broussard says.

By Meg Bryant • Dec. 13, 2016

HHS: Preventing hospital-acquired infections saved $28B

More than 3 million of such infections were prevented from 2010 through 2015, according to the agency.

By Ana Mulero & Jeff Byers • Dec. 12, 2016

13 of our best reads for 2016

Some odds and ends of articles for the year just for you.

By Jeff Byers • Dec. 11, 2016