What is consumerism amid COVID-19?

Hospital executives grappled with defining the term during day one of HIMSS22, and issued advice for hospitals looking to serve the modern consumer — while leaving no patients behind.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 14, 2022

Staffing shortages lead ECRI's annual list of patient safety concerns

The lack of workers is actively jeopardizing patient safety with many patients waiting longer for care, even in life-threatening emergencies, according to the report.

By Hailey Mensik • March 14, 2022

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

Sutter Health defeats antitrust challenge in jury trial

The federal jury in a class action suit rejected allegations that the California hospital system drove up healthcare costs in its markets through anti-competitive practices.

By Susan Kelly • March 14, 2022

6 major regional health systems form alliance to share staffing resources

Advent Health, Atrium Health, Henry Ford Health System, Intermountain Healthcare, Northwell Health and OhioHealth will participate in reciprocal staffing arrangements.

By Hailey Mensik • March 11, 2022

Providence operating loss more than doubled in 2021 as nurse shortage spurred higher labor costs

Providers are seeing expenses tied to salaries and benefits accelerate due to staffing shortages exacerbated by COVID-19. 

By Samantha Liss • March 10, 2022

Amwell partners with electronics giant LG to develop digital health tools

The new partnership may be a bid to rejuvenate Amwell's hospital revenue, which saw tepid growth last year as major health systems have delayed new hardware deployments during COVID-19.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 10, 2022

Threats, obscenities, homicide: Healthcare workers stressed by pandemic face elevated violence

Millions of healthcare workers across the country are becoming inured to workplace violence, which can range from verbal abuse and threats to physical attacks and even homicide.

By Hailey Mensik • March 9, 2022

OSHA stepping up hospital inspections for COVID-19 mitigation efforts

The agency will ramp up investigations at healthcare facilities that previously received pandemic-related citations or complaints to make sure they're effectively prepared and able to prevent the rise of potential variants.

By Hailey Mensik • March 9, 2022

Hospital ownership affects services provided, study suggests

Despite controversy over nonprofits' tax exemptions, the study argues it's important to consider what services hospitals offer when evaluating their social value.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 8, 2022

Pricier care correlated with lower mortality, but only in competitive hospital markets, study finds

Patients admitted to more expensive hospitals in competitive markets had a 35% lower chance of mortality, but higher costs weren't correlated with better outcomes in less competitive areas, NBER found.

By Susan Kelly • March 7, 2022

Healthcare job gains in February far exceed recent months

Healthcare added 64,000 jobs last month, though employment in the sector is still down by about 306,000 jobs, or 1.9%, since February 2020.

By Hailey Mensik • March 4, 2022

Tenet ditches plan to spin off Conifer

The company's decision to retain Conifer in-house closes the chapter on a long process over the uncertain future of the subsidiary that first began in 2017. 

By Samantha Liss • March 2, 2022

Hospital margins plummeted in January amid omicron

Providers and patients again delayed non-emergent care, either to mitigate the spread of the virus or preserve resources for patients with more urgent needs, according to Kaufman Hall.

By Hailey Mensik • March 1, 2022

Mayo Clinic's 2021 operating income climbs to $1.2B

In reporting its annual results, Mayo Clinic also said it is giving eligible staff members a 4% minimum salary increase in 2022.

By Susan Kelly • March 1, 2022

HHS received almost 300 info blocking claims since April, with majority lodged against providers

It's unclear what percentage of the claims are substantiated, though 77% of the possible claims of information blocking are against healthcare providers.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 1, 2022

Healthcare sector on alert for cyber threats in wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine

AHA is especially concerned that some hospitals were collateral damage after Russia targeted Ukraine in a 2017 cyberattack that quickly spilled worldwide.

By Samantha Liss • Feb. 28, 2022

For-profits focus more on outpatient care as inpatient volume remains depressed

Inpatient volumes for non-COVID-19 care have flagged throughout the pandemic, leading some operators to focus more heavily on outpatient service lines like ASCs and freestanding emergency departments.

By Hailey Mensik • Feb. 28, 2022

Rhode Island's largest health systems abandon merger after FTC sues to block union

Lifespan and Care New England's boards decided "not to pursue litigation," according to a joint statement released Wednesday.

By Hailey Mensik , Samantha Liss • Feb. 24, 2022

Texas judge throws out piece of surprise billing rule in win for providers

The ruling tosses out the part of the rule that instructs arbiters must begin with the presumption that the qualifying payment amount, or median in-network rate, is the appropriate out-of-network amount to be paid to providers.

By Samantha Liss • Feb. 24, 2022

Another survey shows pandemic's persisting toll on healthcare workforce

Over half of the healthcare workers recently surveyed by USA Today and Ipsos Research said they are burned out. Nearly 40% agree with the statement: "The American healthcare system is on the verge of collapse."

By Hailey Mensik • Feb. 23, 2022

As pandemic lingers, more nurses consider leaving their jobs, survey finds

Roughly a third of nurses surveyed by McKinsey said they're considering quitting their jobs. That's up from 22% in a poll conducted last February.

By Hailey Mensik • Feb. 22, 2022

Ascension's Q2 profit falls amid omicron surge

Ascension's operating margin in the first six months of its fiscal year fell to 0.2% from 5.7% the year prior as it faced a host of challenges.

By Samantha Liss • Feb. 22, 2022

Nurses at Massachusetts Tenet hospital will keep union following decertification vote

Following a 10-month-long strike last year, the nurses voted in favor of keeping the union in a 302-133 vote, and will stay represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association.

By Hailey Mensik • Updated March 1, 2022

FTC sues to block Rhode Island's largest health systems from merging

Regulators allege a union between Lifespan and Care New England would increase prices and diminish quality as the combined system would control at least 70% of the state's hospital market.

By Samantha Liss • Feb. 18, 2022

AstraZeneca notches win in ongoing 340B legal fight

The decision vacates a violation letter HHS sent to the drugmaker that argued it was illegally restricting discounts on drugs providers delivered through contract pharmacies.

By Shannon Muchmore • Feb. 17, 2022