Andrew Cass

Workforce spending remained hospitals’ top expense in 2025, representing 60% of total expenses, according to the American Hospital Association.  Workforce costs rose 5.6% in 2025 as hospitals continued increasing wages and investing in recruitment and retention efforts for nurses, physicians and other staff, according to the AHA’s 2026 “Cost of…

Nationally, roughly 1% of U.S. physicians have opted out of Medicare entirely, according to 2025 data from KFF.  While 1% appears to be a marginal number upon first glance, a closer look at where those exits are happening, and what is accelerating the trend, tells a more consequential story for…

My mom was a nurse. Some of my most vivid childhood memories are of accompanying her on house calls, where she taught husbands and wives how to give insulin injections using an orange for practice. Growing up in Bayonne, N.J., my mother was the trusted soul of our community and…

Cambridge, Mass.-based Harvard University was ranked the top university for radiology, nuclear medicine and medical imaging — both globally and in the U.S. — as part of U.S. News & World Report’s “2026-2027 Best Global Universities” rankings. Harvard University also earned the top spot for overall best global university, according…

Valdosta, Ga.-based SGMC Health has appointed Sarah Durden, BSN, RN, as director of nursing for acute care. In the role, Ms. Durden oversees nursing operations across 3 West, 4 South and virtual nursing program, according to a June 15 hospital news release. Ms. Durden brings more than 16 years of…

Virtual nursing for hospital discharge was associated with sharply lower 30-day emergency department readmissions across nine hospitals in a major Southeastern U.S. health system, according to a study published in npj Digital Medicine. Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill compared 4,662 discharges handled by remotely located…

S&P Global Ratings’ preliminary 2025 medians show nonprofit hospitals and health systems posting positive but still-thin operating margins, stronger debt-service coverage and growing reserves, with performance varying across credit tiers. Hospitals enter the back half of 2026 managing elevated labor and drug costs, an eroding payer mix and the looming…

Nearly 1 in 5 healthcare workers in the U.S. is a registered nurse, according to May 2025 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. RNs account for about 19% of the nation’s combined healthcare practitioner and healthcare support workforce — a larger share than any other single occupation. Below are…

The word “provider” has become a contested term in American medicine, and the pushback is intensifying. In February, the American College of Physicians published a policy paper in Annals of Internal Medicine, arguing that referring to physicians as “providers” is not just imprecise but an ethical problem. The ACP’s Ethics,…

Nurses are less likely to leave when they have greater responsibility for patient care, according to an article published in Harvard Business Review. The study followed 430 full-time ICU nurses at a large U.S. hospital over 26 months. Researchers analyzed data from the EHR to see nurses’ care activities, and…

Austin-based UT Health Austin was named the most trusted healthcare brand in Monigle’s “2026 most trusted healthcare brands” section of its Humanizing Brand Experience Vol. 9 report. Brand consultancy Monigle surveyed more than 3,000 nationally balanced U.S. healthcare consumers for the report, which examined trust, engagement, compassion and healthcare consumer…

While hospitals and health systems work to recruit and retain the next generation of healthcare talent, another group is also top of mind: those nearing retirement age. A recent study found that leaving the workforce before retirement age may accelerate cognitive decline, and working into older ages could help delay…

Larger states such as California and Texas employ the highest number of registered nurses nationwide. But when measured by concentration — the number of RNs employed per 1,000 jobs in a state’s economy — both states rank much lower, according to May 2025 data released May 15 from the Bureau…

Department of Veterans Affairs staff did not detect a prohibited weapon that undercover Government Accountability Office investigators brought into any of 30 tested VA medical facilities — including two with metal detectors — according to a GAO report publicly released May 13.  Nine things to know: 1. The GAO was…

Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine reported an operating income of $238.5 million (2.4% margin) for the nine months ended March 31, up 46.3% from $163 million (1.9% margin) in the same period last year, according to financial documents filed May 20. The results follow the April 1, 2025, acquisition of Doylestown (Pa.)…

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has removed the two vice-chairs of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an expert panel that provides clinical preventive health recommendations to Congress, an HHS official confirmed to Becker’s May 21. John Wong, MD, and Esa Davis, MD, led the task force. The group…

Jacksonville-based Mayo Clinic in Florida has received a $75 million gift to support its expansion initiative. Four things to know: 1. The donation from Paula and Randy Ringhaver will support the Lee Ringhaver Tower, a newly expanded hospital tower named in honor of the couple’s son, Randal “Lee” Ringhaver Jr.,…

John Dubis, who spent more than 36 years in healthcare leadership, including as president and CEO of Edgewood, Ky.-based St. Elizabeth Healthcare, died May 14. He was 71. During his tenure at the six-hospital system, Mr. Dubis was known for his integrity, compassion and vision, guiding the organization through continued…

The Civica Foundation has received a $3.2 million grant to launch a program aimed at expanding access to generic medications for rural hospitals in nine states. The Civica Rural Hospital Program will support rural and critical access hospitals in Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota and…

Mona Baset, vice president of digital engagement at Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health, is stepping down from her role. Ms. Baset announced her departure in a May 20 LinkedIn post. She has served in the role since April 2022. Ms. Baset said she will take a career break. The post…

Cleveland-based MetroHealth System plans to deploy smart technology at 500 patient rooms across five hospitals. The public, safety-net health system intends to bring Artisight’s virtual nursing, virtual sitting and AI-powered fall monitoring and voice-command capabilities to its new Glick Center in Cleveland, hospitals in Brecksville, Cleveland Heights and Parma, and…

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing found the District of Columbia has the most licensed nurses per capita, while Utah is the state with the fewest for the second year in a row. The organization created a course of nursing licensure statistics in the U.S. and its territories.…

CMS’ latest proposal to cap certain state Medicaid payments has drawn immediate pushback from hospital groups, which argue the plan will further decrease access to care and destabilize hospitals that rely on supplemental Medicaid funding. The agency proposed a rule May 20 that would create new limits for Medicaid state-directed…

At its heart, improving the patient experience is all about communication. Feedback from patients consistently and overwhelmingly points us to this focus. More than anything, patients and families want compassionate and clear communication with every person they interact with. They also want coordinated communication from the team so that they…