Patients seeking dialysis treatment are flocking to Houston Methodist's emergency departments amid water shortages and power outages linked to winter storms in the state, president and CEO Marc Boom, MD, told CNN Feb. 19.

Approximately 300,000 Texas homes and businesses regained power in the past 24 hours as the number of people who lost access to drinking water nearly doubled in the same timeframe.  

Texas hospitals are experiencing several disasters at once from a winter storm that compromised the state's electricity and water supply and left at least 31 dead, including 16 Texans, as of Thursday morning. 

Albany (N.Y.) Medical Center said it has closed its cancer unit to new admissions — and a limited number of staff are working on the unit — after three recent COVID-19 clusters there.

U.S. hospitals saw patient volume for CMS-defined shoppable services drop an average of 35.2 percent in the second quarter of 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, according to a new analysis from Hospital Pricing Specialists. 

The Harris County (Texas) Health Department rushed to administer more than 5,000 vaccine doses Feb. 15 after a harsh winter storm left the Houston facility without power, ABC News reported. 

New Orleans-based Ochsner Health suspended elective surgeries Feb. 15 and Feb. 16 at three locations, citing severe weather concerns and the Mardi Gras holiday. 

The permanent closure of Hialeah (Fla.) Hospital's maternity ward April 5 will affect more than 60 jobs, according to a notice sent to the state.

A California hospital is closing its COVID-19 vaccination clinic, weeks after county officials prohibited it from receiving more shots because it broke protocol, San Jose Spotlight reported Feb. 14.

Two people were injured in a Feb. 11 shooting at New Orleans-based University Medical Center, reports CBS affiliate WWL-TV.

One person is dead and four others were seriously injured after a man opened fire at the Allina Health Clinic Crossroads campus in Buffalo, Minn., Feb. 9, according to police. The suspect in the shooting is in custody. 

The pandemic has solidified the idea that healthcare workers are some of the nation's most hardworking and valuable employees. However, their ability to provide care is often hampered by outdated operational systems and processes.

East Ohio Regional Hospital in Martins Ferry, which closed in 2019, will reopen to patients Feb. 4, according to a hospital Facebook announcement. 

Reno, Nev.-based Renown Health said it has lifted visitor restrictions and is encouraging limited visitors for patients, including those with COVID-19.

Police have identified and arrested a man suspected of stabbing two employees at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport (La.) with a knife on Feb. 1, according to local news station WWL-TV.

New York City closed vaccine sites in the metro area as a major winter storm hit the Northeast.

Patient billing is sure to be one of the most important healthcare-related issues of 2021. A recently heightened focus on billing practices, and a flurry of related activity in Washington, D.C., has put the issue top of mind for many as we head into the new year. This is certainly true in the emergency air medical industry.

Columbia, S.C.-based Prisma Health is operating three regional COVID-19 recovery units meant to alleviate capacity at area hospitals, local CBS affiliate WLTX reported Jan. 27.

Several healthcare organizations recently closed medical units or ended services to shore up finances, focus on more in-demand services or prevent patient care lapses. 

Pauls Valley (Okla.) Regional Medical Center, which closed in 2018 despite attempts to raise money via GoFundMe, plans to reopen this year, according to local TV station News On 6.