Emergency crews were called to CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy in Omaha, Neb., Feb. 3 after healthcare staff noticed a strong smell and became light-headed while treating a critical patient, according to a report from ABC affiliate KETV. 

More men are seeking cosmetic leg-lengthening procedures to boost their height, ABC News reported Feb. 2.

Seattle-based Virginia Mason Medical Center launched a new model of labor and delivery care, one that has rolled out at a handful of hospitals nationwide — including at 15 hospitals in Washington state — and has since streamlined processes for 115 new births since its implementation in October. 

Certain cases of dementia —  potentially up to 10% — could instead be undiagnosed liver disease and related neurological issues, according to a study published Jan. 31 in JAMA.

Roughly 10% of women and girls of reproductive age worldwide are diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, and a recent study found the chronic condition can result in cognitive decline, CNN reported Jan. 31.

The Patient Safety Movement Foundation, a non-profit based in Irvine, Calif., made up of patient safety experts and clinicians, announced five key focuses for 2024 as the organization works to create a "zero preventable harm" environment throughout the healthcare sector.

The most common elective surgical procedure for older adults was major joint surgery, according to a recent study.

In his Jan. 24 "State of the Clinic" address, Cleveland Clinic's president and CEO mentioned that the system confiscated 30,000 weapons from patients and visitors in 2023. 

Theodore Christopher, MD, the head of emergency medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, has been disciplined after he reportedly left a first-year resident unattended so he could go to a different area of the hospital for a diagnostic procedure he needed. During the procedure, he was put under anesthesia, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Jan. 30.

Elon Musk's neurotechnology company, Neuralink, has implanted a chip into a human brain for the first time.

A vehicle crashed through the doors of the emergency department in the early hours of Jan. 29 at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in College Station, Texas, a spokesperson for the health system confirmed to Becker's.

Houston-based Texas Children's Hospital has performed 100 more transplants than any other pediatric hospital in the U.S. in the last decade. And 2023 was the seventh consecutive year the hospital has led in organ transplants.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia temporarily suspended nonessential clinical operations in response to a teen murder suspect that escaped police custody in the parking lot.

A Montgomery County, Ohio, inmate seized a sheriff deputy's firearm while receiving treatment at Kettering Health Dayton (Ohio) and fled the hospital on Jan. 26.

Sparrow Eaton Hospital, based in Charlotte, Mich., alerted its community Jan. 24 of unsafe levels of copper in its water supply. 

Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford, Ore., saw a spike in central line-associated bloodstream infections in 2022 and 2023 — the same period of time a nurse at the hospital was allegedly replacing an unconfirmed number of patients' fentanyl with tap water. 

This year, healthcare professionals are focused on patient and staff safety, a recent Becker's poll found.

In an effort to focus on low-performing metrics, Scripps Health introduced "Sprint Teams," a program aimed at addressing challenges and driving initiatives through direct engagement with front-line care teams. 

A new study based on data from more than 7,000 patients found collaborative care models in hospitals are tied to shorter hospital stays and other improved outcomes. 

An 11-year-old boy recently became the first person in the U.S. to receive a successful gene therapy for congenital deafness, The New York Times reported Jan. 24.