COVID-19 drags CommonSpirit into red for first full fiscal year

Although the pandemic didn't begin in earnest until 10 months into the nonprofit's fiscal year, CommonSpirit saw declining admissions and investments along with increased charity care expenses.

By Ron Shinkman • Oct. 5, 2020

Healthcare jobs in uneven recovery after big spring losses

The latest unemployment report out Friday showed the hospital sector had a small dip in its workforce, though ambulatory services and dentists saw continued gains.

By Hailey Mensik • Oct. 2, 2020

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

Advocate Aurora, Beaumont call off merger following COVID-19, doctor pushback

Discussions began in late 2019, but stalled earlier this year as the coronavirus pandemic accelerated in the U.S., stressing provider finances, and reports of opposition from Beaumont doctors.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Oct. 2, 2020

HHS widens range of providers eligible for COVID-19 relief in $20B third round

Providers who began practicing in January through March will now be eligible, and those who already received or rejected aid can apply again.

By Hailey Mensik • Oct. 1, 2020

Election 2020: Trump and Biden's starkly diverging views on healthcare

Spoiler: the two nominees diverge on almost everything.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Oct. 1, 2020

Providers win Medicare loan extension, DSH relief but lose other asks in stop-gap spending law

The law signed by the president Thursday is likely the only direct aid providers can expect before the November presidential election, after Congress deadlocked on further COVID-19 legislation.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Oct. 1, 2020

Provider finance execs bracing for unfavorable shift in payer mix, survey finds

About 70% of CFOs and revenue cycle leaders are readying for a drop in commercially insured patients — a highly prized cohort for providers and health systems.

By Samantha Liss • Sept. 30, 2020

UHS confirms Sunday ransomware attack, some 250 hospitals still affected

The for-profit operator confirmed reports malware was behind a massive system outage that affected its entire U.S. operations, including more than 250 hospitals that continue to use paper documentation.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Updated Oct. 2, 2020

HHS says nearly $106B in CARES aid has been distributed to providers

Health systems are concerned, however, that new reporting guidelines issued by HHS could stanch the flow of money in the near future.

By Ron Shinkman • Sept. 28, 2020

Trump administration may push back interoperability rules, again: Rucker

HHS is "looking at needed changes" to deadlines for its information blocking rules, ONC head Don Rucker said last week. His comments followed a rule quietly sent to OMB with a title implying extension of certain compliance dates.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Sept. 28, 2020

COVID-19 volume declines mostly uniform, but higher in Black, Latino neighborhoods, study shows

Hospital admissions were profoundly impacted this spring by the novel coronavirus, sometimes in unusual ways, new research in Health Affairs concluded.

By Ron Shinkman • Sept. 25, 2020

Hospital COVID-19 recovery stalled in August, Kaufman Hall says

The snapshot of provider finances found emergency departments faced particularly drastic declines.

By Shannon Muchmore • Sept. 25, 2020

Nurses, Chicago hospital reach contract deal after weeklong strike

Under the agreement, which requires a union vote, the University of Illinois hospital will hire at least 160 nurses to ease a staffing crunch, secure personal protective equipment guarantees and get small wage increases.

By Hailey Mensik • Sept. 24, 2020

Patient sentiment improving on elective procedures despite ongoing pandemic, survey suggests

A Needham & Company poll from this month found the time older U.S. consumers want to wait before feeling comfortable having surgeries again is shrinking compared to its August results.

By Maria Rachal • Sept. 24, 2020

Striking nurses at Illinois hospital return to work without new contract

Although the two sides were unable to reach a tentative agreement on the new contract, the hospital said it would hire 200 more nurses to address staffing concerns initially at the center of the strike.

By Hailey Mensik • Sept. 22, 2020

Microsoft Teams integrates with EHRs for provider telehealth

Epic will be the first EHR to offer Teams in its portal, with support for other systems "coming soon," Microsoft said.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Sept. 22, 2020

Most of healthcare industry in V-shaped recovery from COVID-19, S&P says

Some sub-sectors have actually experienced a net gain during the pandemic — diagnostics, lab testing and life sciences among them. The ratings agency predicts a full recovery for those areas by the end of the year.

By Ron Shinkman • Sept. 21, 2020

Hospitals charge privately insured patients 250% more than those on Medicare. The gap is growing.

A RAND study of charge data from more than 3,000 hospitals points the finger at growing provider consolidation as a key culprit, but the AHA slammed the report as "based on a cherry-picked and limited dataset."

By Ron Shinkman • Sept. 18, 2020

Ascension posts $1B net loss for 2020

By the final month of its fiscal year, the giant nonprofit was staring to recapture a larger share of its patients — and outpacing pre-pandemic levels in one instance. 

By Samantha Liss • Sept. 18, 2020

HCA nurse union win called 'breakthrough' in long-sought North Carolina

The vote marks the first private sector hospital union election victory in the state and the largest at any nonunion hospital in the South since 1975, according to National Nurses United.

By Hailey Mensik • Sept. 18, 2020

In COVID-19's wake, hospitals look to hybrid model with in-person, virtual care on equal footing

Comments throughout the AHA conference reflected a clear agreement that not only is telehealth here to stay, but it's also going to be at the heart of care delivery going forward.

By Shannon Muchmore • Sept. 17, 2020

OCR settles with 5 more providers on HIPAA right of access violations

Three of the providers failed to give the patient medical records access until after a second complaint to the HHS Office of Civil Rights was submitted and validated.

By Shannon Muchmore • Sept. 16, 2020

Hospital visits rebound, but some patients still need convincing

"Hospitals have managed infectious diseases since our inceptions — so we're experts at it," UW Health CEO Alan Kaplan said at an AHA conference this week, where sustaining telehealth momentum was also a hot topic.

By Shannon Muchmore • Sept. 15, 2020

FTC urges Texas regulators to block merger under COPA

The agency was blistering in its comments, warning regulators the deal would result in serious competitive and consumer harm in the form of higher prices, lower quality and diminished access to care and innovation.

By Samantha Liss • Sept. 15, 2020

OSHA fines 3 hospital systems for PPE violations

Bergen New Bridge Medical Center said Monday afternoon it had not received the OSHA report but will "respond accordingly" when it does. The other two hospitals have not responded to requests for comment.

By Ron Shinkman • Updated Sept. 15, 2020