MetroHealth fires CEO Akram Boutros over almost $2M in unreported bonuses

Boutros has denied all allegations of embezzlement. His lawyer said his firing was “the latest of a series of retaliatory acts” against Boutros after he raised concerns over the “unauthorized hiring of the new CEO.”

By Rebecca Pifer • Nov. 23, 2022

Lawmakers object to latest surprise billing rule, call for changes

House Ways and Means Committee leaders “are severely disappointed to find that the August 2022 final rule violates the No Surprises Act in the same ways as before,” they wrote in a letter to regulators last week.

By Samantha Liss • Nov. 22, 2022

Explore the Trendline➔

Payer/provider relationships

As M&A intensifies and companies embrace more holistic and value-based care models, partnerships have become more closely intertwined.

By Healthcare Dive staff

Providence closes 27 retail clinics in Southern California

The healthcare system said the clinics were losing money as they attracted fewer patients. Labor shortages, inflation and an increasingly competitive retail health industry are also to blame.

By Susan Kelly • Nov. 22, 2022

Intermountain ekes out slim profit, weighed down by supply, labor costs

The Salt Lake City-based system, which merged earlier this year with Colorado-based SCL Health, said labor expenses are up 45% from a year ago.

By Susan Kelly • Nov. 22, 2022

Lifespan brings on Mass General Brigham executive as new CEO

John Fernandez will assume the role early next year, replacing Timothy Babineau, who held the position for more than a decade.

By Hailey Mensik • Nov. 21, 2022

Mayo Clinic income slumps as expenses climb in Q3

Expenses outpaced revenue growth as the Minnesota-based health system became the latest provider to report a recent drop in operating income.

By Susan Kelly • Nov. 21, 2022

Epic ensnared in Texas probe of parental access to teen medical records

The state is at the forefront of an intensifying legal battle over the rights of transgender and non-binary children to gender-affirming healthcare.

By Susan Kelly • Nov. 21, 2022

22 states petition CMS to repeal health worker vaccine mandate

The states argued in the petition, led by Montana’s attorney general, that the requirement has led to worsening staffing shortages in the sector, particularly in rural states.

By Hailey Mensik • Nov. 18, 2022

Advocate Aurora remains in the red with reduced investments, higher labor costs

The nonprofit health system’s results add to the chorus of hospital providers reporting continued labor challenges.

By Samantha Liss • Nov. 18, 2022

15K Minnesota nurses could strike again

Nurses at 15 hospitals in Minnesota walked off the job for three days in September but later returned to work without new contracts. On Nov. 30, they’ll vote on whether to authorize another strike.

By Hailey Mensik • Nov. 18, 2022

Cleveland Clinic billing for certain messaging on MyChart

Patient messaging on the portal has doubled since 2019, prompting the system to start billing for those that require more time and expertise.

By Hailey Mensik • Nov. 17, 2022

Intermountain promotes COO to top job after Harrison’s departure

Intermountain has tapped Rob Allen, a longtime executive of the Utah-based health system.

By Samantha Liss • Nov. 17, 2022

Preventable hospital patient safety events declined over past decade, Leapfrog Group says

Incidents of falls and trauma and of objects unintentionally left in a body after surgery decreased by about 25% since 2012, according to the group that assigns letter grades to hospitals.

By Hailey Mensik • Nov. 16, 2022

CommonSpirit posts $400M loss due to higher labor costs, dip in volumes

The health system said its payer mix has softened, as revenue from commercial members dropped compared to the first quarter of last year.

By Samantha Liss • Nov. 16, 2022

Sanford Health inks merger deal after failed Intermountain bid

The deal, which is expected to close next year, will create a system with annual revenue of about $14 billion.

By Shannon Muchmore • Nov. 15, 2022

Fitch downgrades TeamHealth as ER volumes, pricing face pressure

TeamHealth staffs healthcare facilities nationwide and is among the bigger players in the sector. ER staffing represents the majority of TeamHealth’s revenue from contracted physician services, according to Fitch.

By Samantha Liss • Nov. 15, 2022

General Catalyst adds 10 new health system partners, including UHS

The venture capital firm connects health systems to health tech startups, allowing partner hospitals to develop new technologies in exchange for the startups testing their products on the ground.

By Rebecca Pifer • Nov. 15, 2022

HHS cybersecurity center warns of new ransomware threat

The ransomware has attacked targets worldwide, including at least one U.S. health group, since it was first identified in mid-August.

By Susan Kelly • Nov. 14, 2022

Google Cloud to launch healthcare data capabilities in bid to improve health equity, patient management

The accelerators, announced this week at the HLTH conference, were developed in tandem with several Google customers, including LifePoint Health and Hackensack Meridian Health.

By Rebecca Pifer • Nov. 14, 2022

Congressional committee requests investigation of hospital price transparency compliance

Committee members said in a recent letter to a government watchdog that hospitals have had “ample time” to comply with the rules.

By Shannon Muchmore • Nov. 11, 2022

CommonSpirit continues to wrangle with cyberattack

A majority of the providers affected by the attack last month have regained access to electronic health records, but the system said it is still working to return to normal operations. 

By Samantha Liss • Nov. 11, 2022

Emergency rooms are at ‘breaking point,’ physicians say

Medical groups are urging the Biden administration to prioritize finding solutions to patient overcrowding.

By Susan Kelly • Nov. 9, 2022

Children’s hospitals ask Congress to address mental health, staffing concerns

The requests come as hospitals face an influx of patients with respiratory illnesses and mental health conditions.

By Hailey Mensik • Nov. 9, 2022

Half of nurses consider leaving the profession, survey finds

Staffing shortages were the top reason nurses cited for planning to leave their jobs, followed by the need for better work-life balance, according to staffing agency ConnectRN.

By Hailey Mensik • Nov. 8, 2022

Senator outlines potential cybersecurity mandates for health systems

Cybersecurity can no longer be treated as a secondary concern and must become incorporated into every organization’s core business model, according to the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

By Susan Kelly • Nov. 7, 2022