Amid shrinking reimbursement rates and growing frustrations with administrative burdens, more physicians are turning to cash-only or direct primary care models. 

Tacoma, Wash.-based MultiCare Health System has opened a two-story, 22,000-square-foot facility to house two clinics and three graduate medical education programs, according to a Dec. 19 news release. 

Eight percent, or about 72,000, of physicians are unionized, and the number of official union drives among private-sector physicians has leaped in the past two years, Medscape reported Dec. 19.

A new study from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine found that applying Lean methodology to surgical residency programs reduces work hours and improves program efficiency. 

The demand for changes to medical school curriculum has been growing in recent years, and although schools are starting to make changes, many medical professionals want to see more.

While innovative technologies in healthcare today aim to drive efficiency, reduce administrative burden and empower patients to take charge in their care, this hasn't always been the case.

Eighteen percent of female physicians said their employer prioritizes their career growth, according to a recent Medscape report.

Female physicians said that work-life balance and autonomy over patient care were their top priorities, according to a Medscape report.

Ten universities are working on a national effort to create an obesity curriculum for medical schools.

The Ohio Senate is considering a bill that would expand the definition of rape, and increase communication between medical boards, prosecutors and courts when a medical professional is charged or convicted for abuse, The Columbus Dispatch reported Dec. 10.

Massachusetts has opened a path toward limited licenses for immigrant physicians to help ease the workforce shortage.

Mount Sinai Health System and U.S. Anesthesia Partners have teamed up to provide management services for Greater New York Anesthesia Services, a new practice group serving New York City. 

In 2015, around eight medical schools were offering three-year medical programs. Today, that number has risen to more than 30.

At least 20 hospitals and health systems have shared plans this year to launch new physician residency programs, though several are reducing or closing programs due to a range of factors. 

Xavier University in Cincinnati has released more details on its first-of-a-kind medical school.

As CEO of Tufts Medicine, Michael Dandorph always has an eye out for ways to involve physicians in strategic decision-making and enable them to have greater control over their practice. 

Greenville, N.C.-based East Carolina University is piloting a program that adds cooking and nutrition classes to its physician assistant curriculum.

Most physicians have never undergone a peer review, but 56% of physicians said they were concerned that peer reviews could be used to punish them, according to a Medscape report.

Artificial intelligence must be thoughtfully integrated into medical education to ensure that it does not hinder students' development of critical foundational skills, according to a physician's op-ed published Dec. 1 in MedPage Today.

Cleveland Clinic's three-year medical school is making waves by graduating medical students in less time but without sacrificing quality of education.