Macon, Ga.-based Atrium Health Navicent lifted restrictions on emergency department access after a three-hour standoff between an armed man and police at one of its medical office buildings Jan. 17 was resolved, Fox and ABC affiliate WGXA reported.

Massachusetts officials and insurers are implementing various measures to address an increase in respiratory illness affecting hospital capacity. 

An arctic blast has brought frigid temperatures to most of the U.S., leading some hospitals to postpone elective procedures. 

As the nation's hospitals restore mask mandates and construct extra units in response to an increase in respiratory illnesses, the New Hampshire Hospital Association said its members are nearing 100% capacity. 

Denver Health received 10 new ambulances, two of which were purchased thanks to a former patient's fundraising, CBS News reported Jan. 10.

The nation's largest union of registered nurses is accusing St. Louis-based Ascension of using its market dominance to consolidate labor and delivery units, thereby creating obstetric healthcare deserts that disproportionately affect low-income, Black and Latino patients.

Western Pennsylvania hospitals are facing pushback after a report found the region has high bed capacity and lower than average occupancy rates, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Jan. 9.

On top of external challenges like workforce shortages and declining reimbursement rates, behavioral health programs face their own set of challenges for 2024. 

As one of the Midwest's largest public safety-net systems, Cook County Health has cared for more than 19,000 migrants since fall 2022, about one-third of whom are children.

A water main break at Boston-based Brigham and Women's Hospital on Dec. 24 has disrupted in vitro fertilization services, affecting hundreds of people, The Boston Globe reported.

Norristown, Pa.-based Suburban Community Hospital was cited for suspending its psychiatric services for seniors without notifying the state, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Jan. 4.

Hospitals across the U.S. are reinstating mask mandates and opening up additional units as respiratory virus metrics continue to climb and volumes surge. 

Marietta, Ohio-based Memorial Health System opened a new pediatric emergency department at its Belpre Medical Campus Jan. 2. 

Delayed patient discharge to post-acute care facilities is contributing to a hefty backlog for Massachusetts hospitals, according to the latest report from the state's hospital and health association.

WellSpan Chambersburg (Pa.) Hospital stopped providing inpatient pediatric care Dec. 22, Chambersburg Public Opinion first reported. 

Marshfield (Wis.) Clinic Health System is indefinitely pausing surgical services at its hospital in Stevens Point, Wis., the Stevens Point Journal first reported Dec. 22. 

The formation and utilization of state capacity coordination centers across the U.S. largely ramped up as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but continuing their use could benefit the healthcare system, a new report published Dec. 20 in the New England Journal of Medicine found.

Care has been disrupted for a second day at Liberty (Mo.) Hospital due to what it is reported to be an "IT issue," according to CBS affiliate KCTV.

EMS call records show the confusion that can occur among community members and first responders in the wake of a hospital closure, IdeaStream Public Media reported Dec. 19.

Officials in Fresno County, Calif., are pleading with the public to avoid emergency rooms for nonemergency conditions as its hospitals face significant strain, operating over capacity by a minimum of 20% to 40%.