Paige Twenter

By early December, Florida’s health department could revoke several vaccine requirements for school children.  The state’s surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, MD, PhD, said Sept. 3 the Florida Department of Health plans to scrap all vaccine mandates. The department said mandates on school vaccines for chickenpox, hepatitis B, Hib influenza and…

Routinely leaving late is the strongest predictor of nurse burnout and is linked to a 2% to 6% higher turnover rate compared to teams on which nurses leave on time, according to a new report from the American Organization for Nursing Leadership and Laudio.  The report, “An Early Warning System…

A recently published study in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons proposed using the rate of discharge to post-acute care facilities after major surgery as a benchmark for hospital quality. Five healthcare quality leaders weighed in on the proposal for Becker’s and shared more about the unique considerations…

A new model aims to help hospitals and health system leaders better understand how investments in nursing contribute to financial sustainability.  Researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing in Baltimore and Marquette University College of Nursing in Milwaukee introduced the Nursing Human Capital Value Model Oct. 7, during…

A bipartisan group of former U.S. surgeons general expressed significant concern in HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s leadership in a joint op-ed published Oct. 7 in The Washington Post. The former surgeons general — who collectively served under every president since George H.W. Bush — claim Mr. Kennedy’s actions…

Connecticut has officially implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact, allowing eligible nurses to practice in 43 jurisdictions with one multi-state license. The compact took effect Oct. 1 in Connecticut, according to an Oct. 6 news release from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.  Any registered nurse or licensed practical…

U.S. News & World Report released the 2025-26 edition of “Best Children’s Hospitals,” an annual evaluation of pediatric hospitals by specialty and by location, on Oct. 7, featuring 10 Honor Roll hospitals. For the 19th edition, the media company, alongside RTI International, a North Carolina-based research and consulting firm, collected…

Vermont ranks as the safest state in the U.S., based on neighborhood safety, a low unemployment rate and safe roads, according to an Oct. 6 ranking from WalletHub. Nearly 3 in 4 parents in Vermont said they live in safe neighborhoods — the fourth-highest share in the U.S. The state…

-Only MCED test on-market to analyze multiple biomarker classes, enhancing early cancer detection-Offered as a laboratory-developed test at $689-Nationwide access enabled through Quest Diagnostics’ 7,000 patient access sites MADISON, Wis., September 10, 2025 — Exact Sciences Corp. (Nasdaq: EXAS), a leader in cancer diagnostics, today announced the launch of the Cancerguard™…

On Oct. 6, the CDC revised its immunization schedule guidance on vaccines for COVID-19 and measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox). Breaking with past guidance that recommended all individuals 6 months and older receive COVID-19 vaccines, the CDC now recommends shared clinical decision-making between providers and patients.  “[T]he clinical decision…

When patients in Colorado’s remote Yampa Valley needed to see a specialist, the trip often meant a daylong journey to Denver: hours on the road, time off work, child care arrangements and the cost of gas. Now, they can log in for a virtual visit with a neurologist, maternal-fetal medicine…

The Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center, a nonprofit organization that works to share threat intelligence, issued an alert Oct. 1 regarding LockBit 5.0, a ransomware variant that represents an elevated risk to healthcare and other enterprises. The variant is the latest iteration of the ransomware-as-a-service group, which resurfaced in…

A nurse-led intervention at San Francisco-based UCSF Health cut inpatient admissions of older adults by 11.6%, according to a study published Aug. 21 in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.  The study analyzed 2,731 emergency department visits of older adult patients between May 1, 2021, and April 30, 2024. Here are…

Occasionally, Healthcare Plus Solutions Group® (HPSG) has organizations call us asking for help to accomplish a goal or hit a specific metric. It could be in the areas of patient experience or employee engagement, or more specifically in outcomes like turnover/retention. They often expect us to bring in a list of to-dos…

Stryker’s Smoke-Free OR Campaign Julie Greenhalgh, RN, BSN, CNOR, never smoked a day in her life, yet she has all the tell-tale signs that will plague her for the rest of her life: the raspy voice, the chest-deep rattle when she inhales, and the persistent cough. That’s because, over the…

By 2037, the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis projects a shortfall of more than 187,000 physicians across 31 of 35 specialties, including notable gaps in anesthesia, obstetrics and gynecology, and radiology. As physician shortages intensify in the years ahead, healthcare leaders are being asked to address two challenges simultaneously:…

A number of healthcare roles do not require education beyond a high school diploma, with average annual salaries reaching up to $72,415. Many of these roles require obtaining a certification and passing an exam, according to a June 9 article from Indeed. Several roles are also in high demand. Over…

Forty-three hospitals across 18 states have converted to rural emergency facilities since the law that created the designation took effect in January 2023, according to data from CMS. Here are the hospitals that have converted to rural emergency status, by state: Alabama (3) Bullock County Hospital (Union Springs) East Alabama…

Carmel, Ind., is the best small city to live in the U.S., largely due to economic and health factors, according to a Sept. 30 list from WalletHub. The Indiana city has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, a median credit score of 775 and the 11th-lowest share…

EHR-related complaints that may sound mundane — extra clicks, redundant alarms and data scattered across systems — can reflect a deeper frustration, healthcare executives told Becker’s.   Michelle Charles, DNP, RN, chief nursing informatics officer for Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Parkview Health, said each upgrade often adds new screens and notifications while…

Healthcare supply chains are under immense pressure, and the stakes in 2025 are higher than ever. Policy shifts, rising costs and tariff implications are compounding long-standing challenges around inventory management. For hospitals and health systems, this creates a delicate balancing act: clinical and pharmacy leaders must ensure uninterrupted access to…

Independent physician practices are disappearing as hospitals, payers, corporate entities and private equity expand their reach, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.  Here are five key takeaways: 1.In 2024, just 42% of physicians worked in private practice, down from 60% in 2012. Nearly half (47%) were employed by…

The FDA has approved Eli Lilly’s imlunestrant, an oral estrogen receptor antagonist, for the treatment of adults with estrogen receptor positive, HER2-negative, ESR1-mutated advanced or metastatic breast cancer that has progressed following at least one prior endocrine therapy.  The approval is based on results from a phase 3 trial, which…

Healthcare was one of only a few sectors that posted job gains in August, adding more jobs than the overall economy. At the same time, healthcare organizations across the U.S. face financial challenges, with at least 77 hospitals cutting jobs in 2025.  With healthcare seen by some as the “backbone”…