The CDC on Dec. 18 confirmed a patient in Louisiana has been hospitalized with a severe bird flu infection, marking the first human case of severe illness tied to the H5N1 virus in the country. 

Building trust in healthcare cannot be accomplished with a checklist. 

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Broward Health has completed its transition to an Epic EHR system, aiming to make 2025 the organization's "year of innovation," CIO Steven Travers told Becker's.

Cleveland-based Sisters of Charity Health System has undergone significant changes over the last few years, shifting from running five hospitals across South Carolina and Ohio to now working solely to address social determinants of health.  

Daniel Owens has been named CEO of Upson Regional Medical Center in Thomaston, Ga., effective Jan. 20.

A man who authorities say stabbed a security guard last year at Milwaukee-based Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital was sentenced to five years in prison Dec. 12 after pleading guilty to first-degree reckless injury, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Paula Tinch, CFO of Hershey, Pa.-based Penn State Health, has shared plans to retire at the end of January 2025.

Chillicothe, Ohio-based Adena Health System posted an operating income of $3.3 million (1.7% margin) in the third quarter, reversing a $1.2 million operating loss (-0.6% margin) in the same period in 2023. 

As the calendar turns to 2025, the biggest changes are coming to the HCAHPS survey since the advent of the national patient experience measurement system in 2006.

Hershey, Pa.-based Penn State Health has named Sam Wetherill, PharmD, as its next vice president and chief pharmacy officer, effective Dec. 30. 

Registered nurses at Mass General Brigham's Salem (Mass.) Hospital have reached a tentative labor contract with management. 

In 2023, U.S. healthcare spending reached $4.9 trillion, reflecting a 7.5% increase — up from 4.6% growth the year prior — according to a new CMS analysis published online Dec. 18 by Health Affairs.

According to KLAS, Oracle Health ranks second in the U.S. hospital market share, with approximately 23.4% of acute care hospitals utilizing its platform, following Epic.

FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Namandjé Bumpus, PhD, is stepping down from her role, marking one of the first significant leadership departures at the agency by the end of year, Inside Health Policy reported Dec. 17. 

West Des Moines, Iowa-based UnityPoint Health reported an operating income of $54 million (4.2% margin) in the third quarter of 2024, up from a $16.4 million operating loss (-1.4% margin) during the same period last year, according to its Nov. 25 financial report.

Financial headwinds, such as rising labor and supply costs, continued to challenge health systems during the third quarter. 

WVU Medicine Jackson General Hospital in Ripley, W.Va., has named Holly Hill-Reinert, MD, as its inaugural chief medical officer. 

Rhee Perry, BSN, RN, has been appointed CEO of Southern Tennessee Regional Health System-Lawrenceburg, part of Brentwood, Tenn.-based Lifepoint Health, effective Jan. 6.

Rex Walk has been named CEO of Southeast Colorado Hospital District in Springfield.

COO moves at hospitals and health systems across the U.S. captured readers' interest in 2024, including retirements, appointments and resignations.