Nurses and licensed professionals at St. John's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, Calif., voted Nov. 7 to ratify a new labor contract that includes wage increases.

A recent study conducted in Sweden found that GLP-1 agonists such as Ozempic and Wegovy may help reduce alcohol consumption and related harms in individuals diagnosed with alcohol use disorder. 

Hospitals are improving their ability to prevent medication errors by enhancing their use of electronic medication safety systems, data from The Leapfrog Group's fall 2024 safety grade report indicates. 

Here is how much 13 hospitals and health systems are expected to pay or have paid for the cost of purchasing, installing and upgrading a new or current electronic health record system:

Cybersecurity spending will likely continue to take over the IT budget in the coming year as threats become more sophisticated, according to a Nov. 13 report from Moody's.

A Pennsylvania judge approved a $65 million settlement between Allentown, Pa.-based Lehigh Valley Health Network and its patients caught in a 2023 ransomware attack, WHYY reported Nov. 15.

The Drug Enforcement Administration extended the flexibilities enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic that allows healthcare providers to prescribe specific controlled substances via telehealth. 

Nurses at Corewell Health East, part of Corewell Health in southeast Michigan, have voted to join Nurses for Nurses, a committee of Michigan Teamsters Joint Council No. 43. 

Michael Peet has been named COO of HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital in Port Charlotte.

Dual-role CEOs have taken on expanded responsibilities at hospitals and health systems through additional C-suite positions, university affiliations and interim roles.

As health systems and hospitals implement AI-powered technologies into daily workflows — such as ambient listening and drafting patient portal messages — pharmacy departments are also exploring AI's capabilities.

Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham has appointed Patrick Ellinor, MD, PhD, as the inaugural executive director of the system's Heart and Vascular Institute.

The Burbank Police Department in California has arrested a woman on suspicion of impersonating a registered nurse.

The following hospital and health system executive moves have been shared with or reported by Becker's this year:

Nearly three-fourths of U.S. adults are overweight or have obesity, with rates projected to increase further by 2050 without significant interventions, according to a large study published Nov. 14 in The Lancet.

A number of healthcare organizations have recently closed medical departments or ended services at facilities to shore up finances, focus on more in-demand services or address staffing shortages.

Surgeons at Cincinnati-based The Christ Hospital performed a successful human implantation of the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart, marking the fourth hospital in the U.S. to complete the procedure as part of the FDA's early feasibility study.

The FDA has warned providers of safety concerns and supply issues for Getinge/Maquet's VasoView HemoPro Endoscopic Vessel Harvesting Systems.

Many hospitals and emergency departments have been forced to close in 2024 due to circumstances like high costs and shifts in care needs. 

Community Health Systems President and CFO Kevin Hammons said the Franklin, Tenn.-based  system could be looking at acquisition opportunities in the future as it nears its $1 billion divestiture goal.