Hospitals across US cancel elective procedures — again

Health systems have had to curtail, pause or halt nonemergency services when faced with ICUs at capacity and resources all but maxed out.

By Hailey Mensik • Updated Nov. 18, 2020

Amazon finally jumps into pharmacy business, Prime members set to get steeper discounts

The move is a direct threat to retail pharmacy incumbents. CVS Health and Walgreens were hit in early market trading.

By Samantha Liss • Nov. 17, 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

Pandemic spurs consumer-friendly healthcare services that patients expect to continue

Millennials in particular feel more comfortable shopping among traditional providers, telehealth providers and retail clinics than previous generations, according to the Kaufman Hall report.

By Hailey Mensik • Nov. 16, 2020

As COVID-19 surges, hospitals scramble to find staff amid exhausted workforce

"These folks have been working flat out for eight or nine months ... and after almost three months of surge, they're exhausted, they're stressed," Andrew Pavia of Utah School of Medicine said. "Many ... have become ill themselves."

By Hailey Mensik • Updated Nov. 13, 2020

Epic, NextGen highest rated acute care EHR vendors for interoperability, Klas finds

Usability varies significantly by vendor, according to the report, despite an ongoing federal push for free and unfettered data sharing.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Nov. 12, 2020

Primary care networks One Medical, Oak Street Health report Q3 revenue jumps

COVID-19 has proved a major headwind for providers in 2020, but the third quarter is somewhat of a bright spot for medical networks, which were also helped by the employer return-to-work push.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Nov. 11, 2020

COVID-19-related OSHA complaints, fines pile up for healthcare facilities

"OSHA was getting a lot of really bad press about how aggressively they were responding," lawyer Eric Conn said. "And ... maybe for some theater, they have focused on healthcare, because it's easy."

By Hailey Mensik • Nov. 9, 2020

Patients shirked diagnostic testing, in-person preventive care amid telehealth boom this spring

Routine preventive services that can't be done virtually, such as mammograms and colonoscopies, plunged 65% in March and April compared to the year prior, according to an analysis of insurance data published in JAMA Network Open.

By Hailey Mensik • Nov. 5, 2020

Thoughts on diversity in healthcare C-suite from an executive search specialist

The COVID-19 pandemic harshly exposed racial disparities in treatment and care outcomes that remain across the country, and the healthcare industry has a long way to go in diversity and inclusion among its ranks.

By Shannon Muchmore • Nov. 2, 2020

Physician pay growth pushed down amid COVID-19. Women bear the brunt, survey finds

The study by Doximity concludes compensation barely budged this year compared to 2019, an apparent victim of the economic fallout from the pandemic.

By Ron Shinkman • Oct. 30, 2020

Urban-rural divide growing amid primary care workforce, study finds

While more physicians are practicing primary care today than roughly 10 years ago, they're setting up shop in large urban areas — more so than the underserved, rural communities that need them most.

By Hailey Mensik • Oct. 28, 2020

Supply chain pains: How Geisinger, Sutter and Intermountain are prepping for flu season

"I'll be frank with you, we are concerned," John Wright of Intermountain Healthcare said. "We have concerns just in our manufacturers' abilities to keep up with demand on a global basis. Because it's a global issue."

By Hailey Mensik • Oct. 26, 2020

Providers' rocky road to recovery could last into 2022

About 20% of hospital executives told Kaufman Hall they were "extremely concerned" about their financial viability, as the Midwest reports rising COVID-19 caseloads and providers prep for the pandemic to collide with flu season.

By Shannon Muchmore • Oct. 20, 2020

After COVID-19 spurred a boom in telehealth, systems mull how to sustain momentum

An annual survey of providers from the Center for Connected Medicine and Klas Research found a focus on integration and security, but fears about the uncertain reimbursement landscape.

By Hailey Mensik • Oct. 20, 2020

CVS wants pharmacy techs to administer COVID-19 vaccine, plans to hire 10,000 more

This week the Trump administration released guidance authorizing pharmacy technicians and pharmacy interns to administer coronavirus vaccines and COVID-19 diagnostic tests.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Updated Oct. 23, 2020

Elective surgeries seen coming back in Q3, but can it last?

Analysts forecast a recovery in procedures in the third quarter as patients rescheduled, but some now see a leveling off in hospital activity. The flu season also poses a risk going into the winter.

By Susan Kelly • Oct. 15, 2020

Atrium, Wake Forest Baptist seal merger forming $11.5B system

The pandemic doesn't seem to have slowed hospital M&A. For Atrium, it comes more than two years after an attempt at a deal with UNC Health in North Carolina fell through.

By Hailey Mensik • Oct. 9, 2020

Citing COVID-19, providers push back on CMS payment rule rate cuts, telehealth rollback in 2021

The AMA and AHA are among those lobbying hard against any payment reduction amid the pandemic. Stakeholders also spoke out against rolling back coverage of audio-only virtual visits and nixing the inpatient-only list.

By Hailey Mensik • Oct. 6, 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

Patients give high marks to telehealth, J.D. Power says

The survey of more than 4,300 people ranked Amwell and Doctor on Demand as well as insurers. Sicker patients were less likely to report a positive experience.

By Ron Shinkman • Oct. 1, 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

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

Supporting your front-line staff during COVID-19

Your clinicians are working hard to beat COVID-19. Make sure they're supported by your organization.

By Ron Remy, CEO Mobile Heartbeat • Sept. 28, 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