Nearing the end of 2024, several insurance companies proposed reducing reimbursements for anesthesia services, particularly claims from certified registered nurse anesthetists. 

Fourteen states and Washington, D.C., are experiencing high or very high levels of respiratory illness, with influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytical virus all contributing to increased healthcare visits across the U.S. 

The FDA shared new guidelines for when manufacturers can label food as "healthy" in a final rule published Dec. 19.

In states with total abortion bans, federal law requires physicians to provide an abortion if it stabilizes an emergency condition, but hospitals are leaving physicians to fend for themselves to navigate this "minefield," according to a Senate Finance Committee report. 

Currently, men make up about 10% of nurses, but that number is steadily growing — and it could mean a brighter future for hospitals and health systems.

Here are 72 organizations launching or expanding nursing programs:

In an interactive session at Becker's 12th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable, two leaders from Illumina — Mike Kreitzinger, lead of health system strategy, and Damon Hostin, lead of market access for health systems — facilitated a discussion with Tom Mikkelsen, MD, medical director of the precision medicine program and clinical trials at Detroit-based Henry Ford Health.

Mandated reporters at hospitals are more likely to suspect Black pediatric patients of abuse than white patients, according to a study published Dec. 18 in JAMA. 

More than 3 million deaths were reported in the U.S. in 2023, with 10 leading causes accounting for more than 70.9% of all fatalities. 

2024 marked a big year for the field of xenotransplantation, with surgical teams at several health systems completing historic procedures that could pave the way for broader adoption of animal-to-human organ transplants.  

On Jan. 1, two health system leaders will join the Joint Commission's governing board. 

Eight systems and organizations have partnered on research to cure total blindness through whole-eye transplantation.

The CDC on Dec. 18 confirmed a patient in Louisiana has been hospitalized with a severe bird flu infection, marking the first human case of severe illness tied to the H5N1 virus in the country. 

Building trust in healthcare cannot be accomplished with a checklist. 

These days, everything appears doom and gloom. I’m tired of reading negative headlines, and I bet you are too. But in behavioral health, it’s hard to ignore:

Four-and-a-half years after its publishing date, ScienceDirect retracted a study that examined whether hydroxychloroquine could be a potential treatment for COVID-19. 

In November, NYU Langone clinicians successfully transplanted a gene-edited pig kidney into an Alabama woman.

By addressing employee concerns and embracing ambient listening technology, Sanford Health is advancing clinician well-being and promoting healthier work-life balance, according to Heather Spies, MD.

Advanced nursing students face an uphill battle securing clinical placements, often navigating a fractured educational system that can leave them unprepared to enter the workforce, Bloomberg Businessweek reported Dec. 16. 

A concern voiced by public figures — including President-elect Donald Trump and his nominee for HHS secretary, Robert Kennedy Jr. — is that the number of vaccines administered to children may overwhelm their immune systems and contribute to conditions such as autism. This claim was denounced by medical experts, who emphasized that vaccines are designed to be safe and effective, The New York Times reported Dec. 15.