'On high alert': Hospitals wary of cyber threats from Russia-Ukraine war

Cybersecurity has always been chronically underfunded in hospitals, even before COVID-19 swallowed up more resources. Now, this major international threat is creating a "perfect storm," one cybersecurity expert said.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 18, 2022

What's holding up hospital at home?

Widespread adoption of acute-level care at home models has been hampered by physician reluctance and patchwork reimbursement, though a CMS waiver caused hospital participation to snowball during the pandemic.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 17, 2022

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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

How can hospitals improve staff retention? Tech and training, experts say

It's possible to rekindle the passion of doctors and nurses in providing care, even as many eye an exit, experts said at the HIMSS conference.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 17, 2022

Irked by no payment bump, physician lobby pushes Congress for fix

"At a minimum, Congress must establish a stable, annual Medicare physician payment update that keeps pace with inflation and practice costs," AMA wrote in its letter.

By Samantha Liss • March 17, 2022

Third of nurses plan to quit their jobs by end of 2022, survey shows

Nurses cited burnout and high-stress work environments as the No. 1 reason for leaving their jobs, followed by pay and benefits, according to a survey from staffing firm Incredible Health.

By Hailey Mensik • March 16, 2022

Pandemic hastens shift away from hospital inpatient care, Moody's reports

The transition to more treatment in the home and in lower-cost outpatient settings will persist, aided by reimbursement changes and advances in medical technology, the ratings agency said.

By Susan Kelly • March 16, 2022

Site that lets consumers compare hospital prices goes live

Turquoise Health's online search platform lists prices for medical procedures and rates the transparency efforts of nearly 6,000 hospitals.

By Susan Kelly • March 15, 2022

Google to integrate search, summary tools within Meditech EHR in next 9 months

Google and Meditech have already exchanged some data in the new partnership, but will start work on directly integrating Google's tools in Expanse within the next 90 days before going live this year.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 15, 2022

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

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