FTC to block Philadelphia area health system merger in 1st big hospital challenge in 3 years

Jefferson and Einstein defended their union Thursday in a joint statement provided to Healthcare Dive, calling it a "creative effort" to increase access at a time when safety net hospitals are struggling.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Feb. 27, 2020

Healthcare professionals face challenges in negotiating religious diversity

By increasing their interreligious understanding, hospital chaplains and medical caregivers can offer more compassionate care.

Feb. 27, 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

Increased volumes boost Mayo Clinic to top $1B in operating income for 2019

The nonprofit health system reported revenue of $13.8 billion for the year, an increase from $12.6 billion in 2018, according to financial documents released Tuesday.

By Shannon Muchmore • Feb. 26, 2020

HHS officials warn of medical supply shortages amid coronavirus outbreak

"This is an unprecedented potential severe health challenge globally, and will require additional measures," HHS Secretary Alex Azar told lawmakers in a pitch for $2.5 billion in funding.

By Amritpal Sandhu-Longoria • Feb. 26, 2020

Provider community weighs in on CMS bid to overhaul organ donation

The almost 840 public comments were generally supportive of the Trump administration's push to eliminate regional monopolies in organ donation.

By Ron Shinkman • Feb. 24, 2020

Provider earnings snapshot: A focus on volume growth

HCA, Community Health Services, UHS and Tenet all saw year-over-year admissions improvement as they closed out the last fiscal quarter.

By Samantha Liss , Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Updated Feb. 28, 2020

UnitedHealthcare terminates Mednax from its network over pricing squabble

The dispute puts patients, particularly those undergoing surgery, women with high-risk pregnancies and ill newborns, at risk of out-of-network bills in four states: Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. 

By Samantha Liss • Feb. 21, 2020

Community Health Systems reports $675M net loss in 2019

The Tennessee-based hospital operator continued to shed hospitals last year, contributing to a decline of total admissions.

By Samantha Liss • Feb. 20, 2020

CommonSpirit posts 1st operating gain since merger finalized

The documents paint a better picture for the system formed a year ago by Dignity Health and Catholic Health Initiatives, which has struggled financially since its union.

By Shannon Muchmore • Updated Feb. 19, 2020

Most large hospitals embrace patient-facing digital tools despite cost concerns

Respondents said they were helping patients manage simple tasks like accessing health records, making appointments and paying bills, according to a new survey from the Center for Connected Medicine.

By Hailey Mensik • Feb. 19, 2020

FDA tracks uptick in masks, other protective gear in coronavirus update

Commissioner Stephen Hahn said the shift in ordering patterns is yet to manifest in a shortage but warned recently the situation is "evolving and very dynamic."

By Nick Paul Taylor • Feb. 19, 2020

Richer not-for-profit hospitals less generous with charity care, JAMA analysis finds

Hospitals in states that expanded Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act also tend to provide less charity care, the survey of 2,500 health systems found.

By Ron Shinkman • Feb. 18, 2020

Ascension's income from operations falls 9% over 6 months

While total discharges remained stagnant, the Catholic system's biggest volume growth came from physician office and clinic visits, which increased 8.3% during the period compared to a year earlier.

By Samantha Liss • Feb. 18, 2020

Last year saw 19 rural hospitals close, most in nearly a decade

The states with the highest number of closures in the past 10 years are Texas at 20 and Tennessee at 12, followed by Oklahoma and Georgia with seven each, according to a report from The Chartis Center for Rural Health.

By Shannon Muchmore • Feb. 18, 2020

Ballad Health reports stable quarter despite rural patient headwinds

Moody's Investors Service affirmed the rating of the system's bonds at Baa1 and maintains a positive outlook on its operations, which dominate a large swath of Appalachia.

By Samantha Liss • Feb. 14, 2020

Moody's weighs coronavirus impact across hospitals, other sectors

For hospitals, the impact will depend on the length of stay for patients. Any further outbreak would increase volumes but could pressure margins if facilities are forced to cancel more lucrative elective procedures.

By Shannon Muchmore • Feb. 13, 2020

Tenet to pay $1.4M to settle claims it implanted cardiac monitors unnecessarily

The allegations stemmed from a lawsuit filed by a medical center employee who will share in the settlement and is set to receive nearly $241,000.

By Samantha Liss • Feb. 12, 2020

1 in 5 surgery patients hit with surprise medical bill, JAMA study finds

Anesthesiologist and surgical assistants were associated with the most out-of-network charges. The findings come as lawmakers in Congress debate rival proposals to curb the unexpected bills this week.

By Hailey Mensik • Feb. 11, 2020

Hospitals, clinics most likely to be hit with ransomware attack

Nearly 1,500 healthcare companies have been hit with an attack over the past four years, affecting 6.6 million patients, according to a report published Tuesday by Comparitech, which rates IT privacy tools.

By Shannon Muchmore • Feb. 11, 2020

Kaiser income nearly triples to $7.4B in 2019, driven by investments

The results come as nonprofit healthcare operators across the country face rising scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers for what critics call excessive profits for a tax-exempt entity.

By Samantha Liss • Feb. 10, 2020

Hospital margins rose in December following slump

Hospitals saw increased volumes and revenues in the last month of 2019 despite increases in bad debt and charity care, along with mixed performance on expenses, according to a new report from Kaufman Hall.

By Hailey Mensik • Feb. 6, 2020

VA facility claimed as 'world's 1st' 5G-enabled hospital

The Palo Alto Health Care System's 5G infrastructure — the fifth generation of cellular mobile communications — will be operational this week, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said Wednesday.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Feb. 6, 2020

Hospitals spent $2.5B on social determinant programs from 2017 to 2019

The amount health systems are putting into SDOH initiatives is dwarfed by $60 billion in community benefit spending, but it's nevertheless a "substantial investment," Health Affairs researchers note.

By Shannon Muchmore • Feb. 4, 2020

Number of nurse practitioners more than doubled over 7 years

The increase led to an estimated loss of 80,000 registered nurses, and signals a potential shift of labor away from hospitals and into other primary care settings, Health Affairs researchers said.

By Hailey Mensik • Feb. 4, 2020

Payers, providers urge CMS to scrap rule targeting supplemental Medicaid payments

The AHA warned the rule would "severely curtail the availability of health care services to millions" of people and cut Medicaid payments to hospitals by up to $31 billion annually.

By Samantha Liss • Feb. 3, 2020