Surgeons at Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine have performed a double-lung transplant for a patient with stage 4 colorectal cancer through its double-lung replacement and multidisciplinary care program, a first-of-its-kind initiative reserved for patients whose cancers do not respond to standard treatments. 

The American Medical Association has responded to two letters sent by the American Academy of Physician Associates asking the AMA to end its "scope creep" campaign against advanced practice providers.

While some large health systems continue to expand, the typical U.S. health system remains modest in size.

The following hospital and health system CEO moves have recently been reported by Becker's:

Greenfield, Ind.-based Hancock Health is outsourcing 49 revenue cycle team members to Revology, a revenue cycle management firm, effective Nov. 4, due to increasing difficulties in meeting insurance company demands.   

CMS has issued a final rule that is part of a broader effort to address suspicious billing activity in Accountable Care Organizations' financial reconciliation.

Santa Clara (Calif.) County's board of supervisors voted unanimously to appropriate $315 million toward its efforts to acquire East San Jose, Calif.-based Regional Medical Center from HCA Healthcare and restore services, the San Jose Spotlight reported Sept. 24. 

Missoula, Mont., is the best city for healthcare for people with disabilities, WalletHub found.

Richie Splitt has stepped down from his role as CEO of Norman (Okla.) Regional Health System.

Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems continues to reorganize its portfolio, offloading hospitals in multiple markets, but it remains unclear when the for-profit system will be in a position in which it can acquire hospitals again, executives said during the Wells Fargo Healthcare Conference.

As part of a $260 million investment, Johnson City, Tenn.-based Ballad Health has entered a 10-year partnership with Siemens Healthineers affiliate Varian to advance oncology services in the health system.

Cleveland Clinic, Chesterfield, Mo.-based Mercy and Bentonville, Ark.-based nonprofit organizations the Alice L. Walton Foundation and the Heartland Whole Health Institute have partnered to invest $700 million over 30 years to improve care access in Arkansas. 

Since implementing a cloud-based platform in 2021, Baltimore-based University of Maryland Medical Center has worked to optimize the efficiency of bill-only transactions in the supply chain. Data from the deployment of Gallion showed the platform has cut transaction completion times by 75% and reduced error rates from 18% to 3% across UMMS' 11 hospitals. 

Three top executives will exit Springfield, Mass.-based Baystate Health, effective Oct. 23, amid ongoing financial challenges, The Boston Globe reported Sept. 24.

Healthcare workers from Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health, who are represented by SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, will hold informational pickets Sept. 24-26 at four Dignity Health hospitals across California to protest what they say is the outsourcing of jobs and short-staffing.

As healthcare leaders navigate industry challenges, some hospital and health system CEOs have found creative ways to connect with their staff, including the use of new technologies.

Sen. Bernie Sanders highlighted a potential shift in the pricing of Ozempic during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing Sept. 24, during which three major pharmacy benefit managers said they would increase coverage if Novo Nordisk lowered the drug's list price. 

When an independent hospital is acquired by a multi-hospital health system, costs are generally reduced by cutting support staff and prices typically increase. Regardless of ownership status, hospitals tend to raise prices after acquisition, especially when joining a health system in the same market, but the effect on care quality still needs further investigation, according to a University of Pennsylvania study published Sept. 23 in the Journal of Political Economy Microeconomics.

Cincinnati Children's and Indianapolis-based Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent have partnered to improve pediatric cardiology care.

Vice President Kamala Harris wants to expand Medicare's $2,000 annual cap on out-of-pocket drug costs for those with private insurance, but it is unclear how many people would benefit from the plan, Politico reported Sept. 24.