Redefining Patient Access Through Agentic AI in Healthcare Call Centers

The Access Challenge Healthcare Cannot Ignore Even with expanded digital tools, healthcare call centers are still the main and often most strained access point for patients. Whether confirming or rescheduling an appointment, patients continue to rely on phone calls. According to a 2025 Relatient data analysis across clients, up to…

How health systems are bracing for tariffs

As the Trump administration moves forward with sweeping tariffs aimed at increasing U.S. manufacturing, health systems are ramping up efforts to protect patients from potential effects. At Renton, Wash.-based Providence, COO Darryl Elmouchi, MD, said the health system has implemented a supply chain risk management program to help prepare for…

Former diversity chief sues New Jersey hospital

Chris Pernell, MD, former chief strategic integration and health equity officer at University Hospital in Newark, N.J., is suing the hospital, alleging she was illegally forced out in 2022, according to NJ.com. In her lawsuit, filed Aug. 13 in state Superior Court in Essex County, Dr. Pernell alleges sexist and…

From classroom to career: How MU Health boosted hiring 9%

Columbia-based University of Missouri Health Care is taking a multipronged approach to workforce growth, leading to a 9% increase in hiring across nursing and other roles over the past year. “We know labor requires investment, so we’ve invested heavily in the talent pipeline — from exposing high school students to…

Progress amid uncertainty: A mid-year update on 2025 healthcare finance trends.

For a more in-depth analysis of trends shaping the industry in the second half of 2025, find our full trends report here. The healthcare industry continues to face rapid transformation, with financial, technological and operational pressures reshaping how organizations deliver care. CommerceHealthcare® has identified key mid-year developments that are influencing…

Doing More with Less: How AI Can Help Healthcare Providers Weather the Big Beautiful Bill

The healthcare industry is no stranger to change, but the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) — nicknamed the “Big Beautiful Bill” — may represent one of the most significant shifts in years. If the projections hold, millions of Americans could lose coverage over the next decade. According to the…

Ascension’s strategy lifts net promoter score above 80

By rethinking consumer experience, Ascension said it has driven its net promoter score, a critical metric in measuring customer satisfaction, above 80 and cut complaints by 40%. The health system, which operates more than 100 hospitals across 16 states and the District of Columbia, has also reduced the average time…

Analytics for all: How providers are transforming data into dollars

Today’s healthcare providers are in a bind. Demand for services is rising while reimbursement is declining. Amid these circumstances, many healthcare organizations find themselves trapped in a cycle of reactive decision-making and growing expenditures. These organizations aren’t producing the savings they need to support the bottom line. In contrast, other…

Hackensack Meridian Health CEO: Your system is talking. Are you listening?

Now more than ever, it’s time for CEOs to listen. Employee engagement nationally is at an 11-year low, with 79% of employees disengaged. In this climate, cultivating the art of listening is not a soft skill, but a strategic imperative that separates CEOs who preside over disengagement from those who…

What your EHR isn’t capturing: The data gap costing health systems

Health systems have access to an increasing amount of data across their infrastructure, yet much of the most clinically relevant information is buried in unstructured formats. This data gap leads to inefficiencies, delays in care and missed financial opportunities. In a recent presentation hosted by Becker’s Healthcare, Mauricio Garcia Jacques,…

Vedant Bhosale