Madeline Ashley

As hospitals continue to face mounting financial pressures, facility closures are ramping up as a direct consequence of those strains.  As of September 2025, Becker’s has reported 21 hospital closures, up from our coverage of 19 facility closures at this point in 2024. Becker’s capped its 2024 reporting with 25…

NYC Health + Hospitals, an 11-hospital system based in New York City, has saved nearly $250 million through strategies to reduce nurse turnover costs and reliance on travel staff.  In 2024, the health system saved more than $150 million by decreasing its reliance on travel nurses and filling 3,000 registered…

The U.S. is expected to add 5.2 million jobs from 2024 to 2034, with healthcare and social assistance projected to see the largest job growth and be the fastest-growing industry sector in terms of employment at 8.4%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Growth in healthcare and social assistance…

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson has named Emma Burnham associate director for healthcare in the Bureau of Competition.  Four things to know:  1. Ms. Burnham has been appointed to the role after spending 11 years as a prosecutor in the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, according to a Sept. 9…

Imagine a future where some cancers are caught before symptoms appear, before they spread, before lives are disrupted. That’s the potential of multi-cancer early detection (MCED), a transformative approach that’s reshaping how healthcare leaders think about cancer screening. In 2025 alone, over 2 million new cancer cases and more than 618,000…

Rethinking the Capital Equation in Hospital Finance Hospital CFOs are under increasing pressure to balance competing financial demands. Rising utility costs, deferred maintenance, and aging infrastructure strain operating budgets, while investments in staffing, technology, and patient care require every available dollar. Too often, this creates a financial stalemate: delaying upgrades…

Ascension has reached its highest nurse retention rate in five years — 81.96% — aided by its employee feedback tool Always On Listening, or AOL.  The tool helps address the “pebbles” in people’s shoes, according to Rob Rose, DNP, RN, chief nursing officer and senior vice president of nursing at…

Pharmacy leaders are facing high-stakes challenges that could threaten the stability of drug access and affordability across the U.S. Amid this uncertainty, health systems are responding with urgency, with many exploring new ways to gain control over drug pricing, efforts to increased transparency and options for protecting vulnerable populations.  Here…

Amazon Pharmacy has expanded its RxPass service to Texas, allowing Amazon Prime members in the state, including those on Medicare, to receive over 50 generic medications for $5 per month through the prescription subscription service.  Medications covered include those to treat diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, anxiety and other common conditions,…

Massachusetts vaccinates the most out of any state, according to a WalletHub report published Sept. 9. To determine which states vaccinate most, the financial services site analyzed data across 16 metrics, which were grouped into three key areas: immunization rates among kids and teenagers; adult and elderly vaccination rates; and…

Compensation for physician assistants and nurse practitioners varies across specialties, according to a survey conducted by consulting firm SullivanCotter The “2025 Advanced Practice Provider Compensation and Productivity Survey” draws data from more than 785 health systems, hospitals and physician group practices representing more than 155,000 certified anesthesiologist assistants, certified nurse…

September is National Preparedness Month, which aims to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for emergencies. The American College of Healthcare Executives advises healthcare executives to actively participate in disaster preparedness for natural and man-made disasters. This advice has never been more relevant as healthcare organizations plan for the…

The face of a nurse now appears on a television screen in hundreds of rooms at Jackson, Mich.-based Henry Ford Jackson Hospital. From a command center down the hall, the nurse conducts safety checks, reviews charts and helps patients prepare for discharge — all without ever crossing the threshold. This…

The American Hospital Association is calling on federal regulators to launch an antitrust investigation into its claims of drug manufacturers’ actions regarding 340B rebate models.  In a letter sent to the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice, the AHA accused several pharmaceutical giants of undermining the 340B drug…

The World Health Organization has updated its Model Lists of Essential Medicines and Essential Medicines for Children, adding drugs for cancer, diabetes, obesity and other conditions.  Among the additions are GLP-1 receptor agonists semaglutide, dulaglutide and liraglutide, along with tirzepatide, used to treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity, according to…

The Federal Trade Commission on Sept. 5 voted 3-1 to dismiss its appeals in two legal challenges to its 2024 rule banning noncompete agreements in employment contracts. On Sept. 5, the agency dismissed appeals in Ryan, LLC v. FTC and Properties of the Villages v. FTC and acceded to the…

Hospitals nationwide could see annual revenue losses of up to $25 billion through Medicaid losses stemming from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to a new analysis from Kodiak Solutions. The law, passed July 4, cuts about $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next decade, making it the largest…

Jesup, Ga.-based Wayne Memorial Hospital said it received a ransom note after a June 2024 cyberattack that allowed hackers to access some patient information. In a Sept. 7 notice filed with the Maine attorney general’s office, the hospital said an unauthorized party gained access to its network, encrypted some files…

Mass General Brigham, based in Somerville, Mass., and eGenesis have received FDA approval for a clinical trial testing genetically engineered pig kidneys.  The trial will evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of EGEN-2784, a genetically engineered pig kidney, after 24 weeks post-procedure, according to a Sept. 8 news release from…

Key Takeaways Mainstreaming genetics – Testing now guides real-time treatment. New care models – Clinicians empowered, workflows optimized. Education & coverage – Training gaps and reimbursement hurdles persist. AI with oversight – Scales insights but needs human validation. Genetic testing is rapidly moving genomics from a niche specialty to becoming…

Omaha, Neb.-based CHI Health is building its own pipeline of clinical support staff through a new program that offers free training, certification and guaranteed employment to aspiring certified nursing assistants.  The goal of the CNA Advance Program is twofold: Develop an internal pipeline of highly skilled CNAs and strengthen support…

Sweeping policy changes are reshaping reimbursement and funding, putting unprecedented pressure on operating margins. Hospitals can no longer afford inefficiency in how they manage costly assets like operating rooms, staffed beds or infusion chairs. The stakes are high: patient access, financial stability, and community trust all hang in the balance.…

West Plains, Mo.-based Ozarks Healthcare will roll out digital preregistration and health forms for patients beginning Sept. 15.  The system serves more than 160,000 residents across an eight-county region in south-central Missouri and northern Arkansas. Its 114-bed hospital and affiliated clinics will be part of the rollout. Patients will be…

The fall mortality rate among older adults in the U.S. has more than tripled over the last 30 years, despite steadily decreasing in other high-income countries, according to an opinion paper published Aug. 8 in JAMA Health Forum.  One possible explanation for the discrepancy could be the higher level of…