The Washington State Hospital Association hopes patients and visitors notice something when they hear an emergency call over the facility's loudspeaker: they can understand it.

Detroit-based Henry Ford Health has created a new company called Populance to support hospitals, physicians and health plans in advancing population health efforts. 

Ensemble Health Partners (Ensemble), the market leader in revenue cycle management for mid-sized to large healthcare organizations, announced today that is has been selected by Mary Washington Healthcare (MWHC) as their strategic revenue cycle management partner.

As we look ahead to 2025 and beyond, hospitals and health systems will continue facing complex financial challenges and opportunities. While the healthcare sector has shown resilience in recovering from the immediate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing pressures related to rising costs, workforce shortages, regulatory changes, and shifting reimbursement models remain significant concerns.

With only three months remaining in 2024, hospital and health systems are formulating their strategies for 2025 and beyond. Stephen Jones, MD, president and CEO of Falls Church, Va.-based Inova Health, recently spoke with Becker's about the system's strategies on topics from capital investments to partnerships with community organizations.

Healthcare stands at a pivotal crossroads. The landscape is shifting from a traditional focus on treating diseases to a more holistic approach. As Conrad S. Emmerich, Chief Procurement Officer of Advocate Health recently highlighted in a webinar, “Healthcare is transforming to keeping people healthy rather than treating disease.”

Today, there are many factors threatening clinical workforce stability. Growing demands for healthcare services, ongoing provider shortages, and increasing burnout rates are making it hard to ensure consistent access to care. As healthcare leaders rethink staffing strategies to ensure clinical workforce stabilization, many are making the transition from outsourced to employed staffing models.

HealthONE, a Denver-based health system that is part of Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, has a new name: HCA HealthONE.

Clinical denials are complex and often require detailed documentation. This places an additional operational burden on already overburdened healthcare organizations and can require increased investments in staffing and technology.

As Gen Z employees become a larger part of the healthcare workforce, the different ways they prefer to experience work, compared to their older colleagues, present novel challenges for health systems.

As ransomware and phishing attacks escalate against healthcare organizations, many are taking proactive steps to reduce the risk of becoming the next victim. One option for doing so can also address another serious industry concern that has not generated the same headlines – a rise in threats, harassment and violence against healthcare workers.

Tommy Ibrahim, MD, joined Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health Plan as president and CEO in January after serving as president and CEO of Cooperstown, N.Y.-based Bassett Healthcare Network.

U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) have introduced the Health Care Affordability Act, which aims to permanently extend the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits for marketplace coverage. 

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the trend of independent hospitals and small community health systems joining larger systems via full-asset mergers has slowed when compared to the last 10 years overall.

Post-pandemic, the healthcare sector remains significantly disrupted. This shift in healthcare delivery is not only driven by the demand for convenience and patient expectations, but is also fueled by advancements in technology, changes in demographics, and an increasing focus on the patient experience.

Vice President Kamala Harris wants to expand Medicare's $2,000 annual cap on out-of-pocket drug costs for those with private insurance, but it is unclear how many people would benefit from the plan, Politico reported Sept. 24. 

Financial pressures continue to mount for healthcare supply chain leaders as the industry transitions from the traditional fee-for-service payment model to new models driven by value-based care.

Amid civil unrest in 2020, spurred by various social, political and economic factors, Allina Health had its own moment of reflection. The Minneapolis-based health system, whose corporate headquarters and flagship hospital are blocks from where George Floyd was murdered, evaluated what more it could do for the community.

Cedars-Sinai Health System is partnering with the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and will be the official medical provider for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.

Healthcare reform, once a central issue in elections, has taken a back seat in this year's presidential race, The New York Times reported Sept. 13.