CommonSpirit CEO Lloyd Dean to retire next year

The announcement sets off a search for his successor as the organization heads into its third full fiscal year.

By Samantha Liss • Oct. 13, 2021

Hospitals still spending more on PPE, labor as result of COVID-19

Hospitals spent more than $3 billion on personal protective equipment since the start of the pandemic, though costs have steadily declined since peaking last year, according to a Premier analysis.

By Hailey Mensik • Oct. 13, 2021

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

Tenet's surgery center buying spree ramps up as it signs deal for 9 more facilities

The deal for a stake in ASCs in Florida, North Carolina and Texas builds on the hospital operator's long-term strategy of expanding that portfolio.

By Samantha Liss • Oct. 12, 2021

Kaiser Permanente workers in California vote to authorize strike

The outcome does not mean a strike will start immediately. The results give union leaders the authority to set a strike date so long as they give the required 10-day notice in writing to Kaiser Permanente.

By Samantha Liss • Updated Oct. 11, 2021

The 21st Century Cures Act update: where we've been and where we're going

Learn what's changed and how you can leverage technology and data to shape the healthcare of tomorrow.

Oct. 11, 2021

Optum inks deal with largest health system to date, SSM Health

As part of the agreement, about 2,100 SSM employees across revenue cycle and hospital care management will become Optum employees in an outsourcing deal.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Oct. 8, 2021

Hospital M&A in 2021 characterized by fewer but much larger deals

Hospitals are increasingly looking outside traditional care delivery methods threatened by COVID-19 to diversify business models by pursuing stakes in home health, virtual care and post-acute services.

By Shannon Muchmore • Oct. 7, 2021

Voting ends Sunday for Kaiser Permanente union in California to greenlight strike

A strike of this size could cripple operations for Kaiser in southern California. Those 24,000 healthcare workers eligible to vote on a strike represent about 31% of the system's nearly 76,000 employees in that area.

By Samantha Liss • Oct. 7, 2021

HCA sells another Georgia hospital, with $637M price tag

The latest deal means the system will no longer have a footprint in the northwest part of the state after completing a divestiture plan of offloading hospitals surrounding the Atlanta area.

By Samantha Liss • Oct. 6, 2021

Labor shortages will strain hospital budgets through 2022, Moody's says

The pressure on health system profitability comes as lucrative non-emergency procedures are on hold in some areas to handle incoming COVID-19 inpatients, according to the report.

By Shannon Muchmore • Oct. 6, 2021

Ransomware attacks put availability of medical devices at risk, FDA cyber chief says

Industry reached a "watershed moment" earlier this year when a device outage caused by malware endangered patient lives, Kevin Fu, acting director of cybersecurity at CDRH said. "That was something we haven't seen before."

By Greg Slabodkin • Oct. 4, 2021

How much is too much? OIG warns about booze for doctors in medtech speaker programs

Drug and device makers have spent $2 billion in the past three years on such events, according to OIG. Companies have been required since 2013 to disclose payments to doctors and health systems, made public annually.

By Kim Dixon • Oct. 4, 2021

3 in 10 nurses want to leave their employers, survey shows

Nurses younger than 35 said they were most likely to leave their current job, a particularly troubling trend for providers already under staffing strains.

By Ron Shinkman • Oct. 1, 2021

Over 2,000 workers at Catholic Health hospital in New York wage open-ended strike

The two sides are close to an agreement on measures related to pandemic preparedness and extended sick leave pay, but are still far apart on salary and staffing proposals, according to the union.

By Hailey Mensik • Updated Oct. 12, 2021

Doctors slam surprise billing rule that details dispute resolution process

The interim final rule established that existing rates in a provider's geographic area will be a strong anchor for final payment decisions by arbitrators.

By Shannon Muchmore • Oct. 1, 2021

Healthcare workers report cybersecurity, burnout woes worsened by COVID-19

Nearly three quarters of healthcare professionals are concerned that patient health information is being sent through unsecured tools, according to a new survey from hospital communication firm Spok.

By Shannon Muchmore • Sept. 30, 2021

More than half of states will see nursing demand outstrip supply in the next 5 years, Mercer finds

Other predictions include that primary care will increasingly be provided by non-physicians, like physician assistants and nurse practitioners, and demand for mental health providers will rise by more than 10%.

By Hailey Mensik • Sept. 29, 2021

Intermountain launches outpatient imaging business

For the health system, which operates 25 hospitals, the move to form the subsidiary may be in response to insurers cracking down on costly hospital-based imaging.

By Samantha Liss • Sept. 29, 2021

Cleveland Clinic forecasts latest COVID-19 surge will soon peak as nation sees declining hospitalizations

Lower volumes are a welcome sign for health systems that have been overwhelmed by patient volumes and forced to delay nonemergency procedures. The downward trend signals a return to normal for operators.

By Samantha Liss • Sept. 28, 2021

Nursing union says hospitals aren't following OSHA standard amid delta

Facilities should now be in compliance with the emergency temporary standard, but nurses still face challenges with COVID-19 testing and notifications when they're exposed to the virus, according to a new survey.

By Hailey Mensik • Sept. 28, 2021

Beaumont, Spectrum deal delayed by FTC backlog

The two Michigan health systems expected the union to close this fall. But now it will take longer than originally anticipated as the Federal Trade Commission is experiencing a surge in merger filings. 

By Samantha Liss • Sept. 27, 2021

Delta pressure on US hospitals dragged August operations, Kaufman Hall finds

"The August data show we are not out of the woods yet, and hospitals face additional uncertainties as we move into the fall and winter," Erik Swanson, senior vice president of data and analytics at Kaufman Hall, said.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Sept. 27, 2021

Quarter of providers saw mortality rates rise after ransomware attacks, survey finds

This study of health delivery organizations is one of the first finding a direct impact on patient care down the line, and comes roughly a year after a patient in Germany died as a result of delayed care following a ransomware attack.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Sept. 23, 2021

Sutter kicks off nationwide CEO search as Sarah Krevans announces retirement

Whoever replaces Krevans will inherit a difficult financial situation, shaky relations with worker groups and a brand marred by several recent legal disputes with the federal government.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Sept. 23, 2021

AHA-backed study predicts hospitals could lose $54B in profit this year

Despite the dire prediction, most major U.S. systems reported major year-over-year profit jumps in the second quarter, illustrating the industry continues to be highly lucrative.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Sept. 21, 2021