Naomi Diaz

ChatGPT is rapidly emerging as a new waypoint in the patient journey, with millions of Americans using the generative AI tool to research symptoms, prepare for appointments, navigate insurance and seek answers when providers are unavailable. More than 40 million people in the U.S. now use ChatGPT daily for healthcare-related…

Marietta, Ga.-based Wellstar Health System has named a COO for its new $272 million hospital set to open in August. Nelson So was appointed COO of Wellstar Columbia County Medical Center in Augusta, Ga.,  in September. A retired colonel with the Army Medical Service Corps, he brings more than 25…

Jacksonville, Fla.-based Nemours Children’s Health Executive Vice President and CFO Caswell Samms III is urging hospital and health system financial leaders to evolve beyond their traditional roles in 2026 as the industry navigates increasingly challenging circumstances.  “I don’t think we can continue to operate as financial scorekeepers,” he said during…

New Jersey has forgiven more than $86 million in medical debt for more than 53,000 residents, marking the sixth round of relief under the state’s partnership with national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt. Six things to know: 1. The state used about $600,000 in American Rescue Plan funds to facilitate the…

The New York State Nurses Association delivered 10-day strike notices Jan. 2 to 12 hospitals in New York City. Here are seven things to know: 1. If agreements are not reached, as many as 20,000 nurses could strike Jan. 12. This would mark the largest nurse strike in city history,…

Health system C-suites across the U.S. are targeting ambulatory care expansion for 2026 as pressure mounts to lower cost of care and deliver on value-based promises. Even the nation’s largest health systems are strengthening their ambulatory footprints. Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health, which operates in 28 states, is focused on outpatient growth.…

Patients in Washington, D.C., had the highest median time spent in the emergency department, while patients in North Dakota had the lowest, CMS data shows. The agency’s “Timely and Effective Care” dataset, updated Nov. 26, tracks the average median time patients spend in the emergency department before leaving. The measures…

The cure for the traditional, fractured approach to treating polychronic conditions is bringing multi-specialty care to the patient—in their own home. The disease burden of chronic conditions has been rising dramatically—a Milken Institute report estimated that 30.8 million people in the U.S. had three or more chronic diseases in 2015;…

Infection prevention in senior living facilities has come a long way since the onset of COVID-19, but significant risks remain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 1 to 3 million healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) occur annually in U.S. long-term care facilities, contributing to as many as…

In 2025, federal health agencies dismantled precedents in vaccine guidance, fracturing state-federal alignment and fueling concerns about public health guidance. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removed all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in June, citing a need to rebuild public trust. The new panel…

Eleven states have outlined plans to address post-acute care coordination as part of their participation in the new CMS Rural Health Transformation Program. The application window for the program ran from Sept. 15 to Nov. 5, and final awards were issued Dec. 29. All 50 states received part of the…

Hospitals in Nebraska lead the nation on physician communication, while hospitals in Nevada rank lowest, CMS data shows. CMS collects and publicly reports data on physician communication as part of its HCAHPS survey data. The measure assesses the percentage of patients who reported that their physicians “always” communicated well. The…

As radiologist shortages persist nationwide, Emory’s Radiologic Technology Certificate Program is helping grow Georgia’s imaging workforce and train the next generation of technologists as it enters its seventh decade. Hosted at Emory Decatur Hospital, the program is one of Emory’s longest-running clinical training initiatives. Founded in 1962, the full-time, 24-month…

National patient experience scores held largely steady in 2024, with modest improvements in several key areas. Compared to 2023, the latest HCAHPS data from CMS shows small gains in measures tied to staff courtesy, responsiveness and overall hospital ratings, while most communication and discharge metrics remained flat.  Only a handful…

Hospital length of stay continues to trend downward across much of the U.S., reflecting sustained efforts to improve throughput, manage capacity and shift care to lower-acuity settings, according to new data from Kaufman Hall’s “National Hospital Flash Report.” Across 1,300 hospitals nationally, average length of stay declined 2% from September…

Vanda Pharmaceuticals has received FDA approval for Nereus (tradipitant), an oral NK-1 receptor antagonist developed to prevent motion-induced vomiting. The approval makes Nereus the first new pharmacologic treatment for motion sickness in more than four decades. Its efficacy is supported by three pivotal trials, including two phase 3 studies, according…

A mutated version of an influenza A strain is dominating this year’s respiratory virus season, driving a record number of cases in some areas of the country. More than half of states reported “high” or “very high” levels of flu-like illness for the week ending Dec. 20, according to the…

The past 12 months recorded several medical breakthroughs, including first-time gene therapy outcomes, notable FDA approvals and virtual healthcare delivery, ABC News reported Dec. 30.  Here are seven medical breakthroughs in 2025, according to ABC News:  1. In a world first, a patient controlled an iPad entirely through his thoughts.…

Sayre, Pa.-based Guthrie has improved patient safety and its financial outlook since launching a virtual care center in 2023. The Guthie Pulse Center has saved the six-hospital system millions of dollars while reducing time spent in the emergency department by over two hours per admitted patient. “The Guthrie Pulse Center…

Many health systems with virtual nursing programs say these remote care models have strong ROI — but few share specific wins and results.  Bedside nurses have shared mixed reviews on virtual nursing. Between December 2023 and March 2024, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in Philadelphia surveyed…

Federal officials and industry leaders outlined key policy shifts ahead for telehealth during the American Telemedicine Association EDGE 2025 Policy Conference Dec. 10, emphasizing that virtual care’s long-term viability hinges on stable rules around licensure, payment, fraud and AI governance. Here are five notes: 1. Licensure remains fragmented. State-level inconsistencies…

Patients who interacted with a transitional care management team after hospital discharge had an 84% lower risk of being readmitting within 30 days, according to a study published Dec. 23 in BMC Health Services Research.  Researchers from White Plains (N.Y.) Hospital analyzed EHR data of 343 adult patients who were…

CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, has moved quickly to advance President Donald Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. The push comes after President Trump this summer signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a sweeping package of reforms targeting Medicaid, Medicare and the ACA marketplace. From plans to close a…

While Generation Z employees are often associated with entry-level roles, they have also begun stepping into leadership positions at hospitals and health systems. Gen Z includes individuals born between 1997 and 2012. As they enter the workforce and the first wave advances into management, here are 10 things healthcare leadership…