Elizabeth Gregerson

Evanston, Ill.-based Endeavor Health is in the midst of executing a $181 million expansion plan. An integral part of which is integrating its newly launched Endeavor Health Cancer Institute across the nine-hospital system. At the helm of this integration are Ted James, MD, system physician executive of the Endeavor Health…

Since joining North Kansas City, Mo.-based NKC Health in 2021, Senior Vice President and CFO Austin Jones has steered the organization through a 40% growth in net patient service revenue and he’s not afraid to invest in areas many hospitals are abandoning.  One of those investments is labor and delivery…

Aurora Medical Center-Sheboygan County in Wisconsin plans to stop offering inpatient psychiatric care and convert those beds to medical and surgical beds beginning Sept. 19, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. In a statement shared with the news outlet, Aurora Health Care attributed the decision to increased demand for medical and…

Willows, Calif.-based Glenn Medical Center filed an Aug. 22 WARN notice for 225 employees after the hospital shared plans to close following CMS’ decision to revoke its critical access hospital designation on Oct. 21.  Jennifer Still, GMC hospital administrator, told Becker’s that the 225 layoffs include 150 full- and part-time…

HHS and the Department of Education have called for immediate reforms to how nutrition education and training are implemented in U.S. medical schools as part of a sweeping initiative to tackle chronic disease and promote prevention-focused care. The initiative is part of President Donald Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F.…

The healthcare industry is not taking action with respect to population and behavioral health at the level it should, according to Tim Robinson, CEO of Nationwide Children’s Hospital.  One area of population health investment at the Columbus, Ohio-based hospital has been housing, where it is nearing its 1,000th unit affected…

As researchers study the efficacy of GLP-1s like Ozempic and Mounjaro in treating dementia and other health issues with an eye toward expanding their usage, oncologists are looking at a GLP-1 role in cancer care. Several studies have shown the therapies — currently approved for Type 2 diabetes, weight loss,…

Thousand Oaks, Calif.-based HCA Healthcare’s Los Robles Health System has created a tool that acts as a “smoke detector for sepsis,” according to an Aug. 26 news release shared with Becker’s. The algorithmic tool, Sepsis Prediction and Optimization of Therapy, is designed to detect early warning signs of sepsis and…

Unprecedented pressure has been placed on rural and community-based hospitals following the passage of the federal reconciliation package (originally H.R. 1), now law. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) outlined that the bill would reduce federal Medicaid spending by $1 trillion and increase the number of uninsured people by 10 million.…

One in 5 chief human resources officers across industries expect hiring to slow in the next six months. This is nearly twice the share who anticipated pullback in 2024, according to a Q2 Conference Board survey of more than 100 leaders. What is the outlook at hospitals and health systems?…

Nurses at UP Health System-Marquette, who are represented by the Michigan Nurses Association, have reached a tentative labor contract on Aug. 24. The nurses’ tentative agreement follows an Aug. 18 “practice strike” by union members. According to a joint news release, the deal includes guaranteed wage increases of 18.75% over…

As supply costs rise and disruptions persist, health systems are finding new ways to balance cost while building more reliable supply chains. Leaders are focusing on smarter purchasing, closer clinical partnerships and optimizing data to ensure high-quality care while controlling cost.  Here are responses from seven supply chain leaders who…

A majority of hospital and health system executives believe AI could improve clinical decision-making and cut costs, but few say they are ready to integrate the technology into day-to-day care, an Aug. 26 report from Sage Growth Partners found. Sage Growth Partners surveyed 101 executives across integrated delivery networks, academic…

Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth has appointed CEOs for two Florida campuses. Brad Hillmon was named CEO of AdventHealth Apopka (Fla.) and Michael Mewhirter was named CEO of AdventHealth East Orlando (Fla.), according to an Aug. 26 health system news release shared with Becker’s. Mr. Hillmon has been with AdventHealth for…

Emerging technologies have improved efficiency at most health systems. As these tools advance, operations are expected to run even more smoothly. Over 50 healthcare leaders spoke with Becker’s about the emerging technology that needs to improve the soonest. The leaders featured below are speaking at Becker’s 10th Annual Health IT + Digital Health +…

Google has developed a new evaluation framework to help health systems assess large language models more efficiently and reliably.  The framework, called Adaptive Precise Boolean rubrics, converts complex evaluation tasks into yes-or-no questions tailored to each query. It aims to reduce dependence on expert reviews while improving scoring consistency, according…

A disparity in access to information about early intervention services is getting an overhaul in Illinois with the amendment of the state’s Hospital Licensing Act.  Infants who have a birth weight less than 1 kilogram — approximately 2 pounds — qualify for early intervention services until age 3. These services…

Boise, Idaho-based St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center had the lowest 30-day readmission rate for heart failure patients between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2024, according to CMS data published Aug. 6.  The CMS measure is based on unplanned readmissions within 30 days of discharge from a hospitalization related to…

Eli Lilly’s oral GLP-1, orforglipron, led to significant weight loss and blood sugar reductions in a late-stage clinical trial.  In the phase 3 study, adults with obesity, were overweight and with Type 2 diabetes lost an average of 10.5% of their body weight after 72 weeks on the highest dose…

Shannon Levesque has been named Nashua, N.H.-based Southern New Hampshire Health’s first chief people officer. In her new role, Ms. Levesque will lead workforce development and talent strategy to help the health system meet area needs, according to an Aug. 26 news release shared with Becker’s. Prior to her new…

UT Medical Center has expanded its longstanding partnership with the University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Nursing by investing in a new facility and additional scholarships for students. Four notes:  1. Over the past five years, the institutions’ collaboration has supported a 24.5% increase in nursing school enrollment, according to…

OptumRx, a UnitedHealth subsidiary, is tracking three new drugs this year:  Brensocatib: An oral treatment for noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis which gained FDA approval Aug. 12. It is the first targeted therapy for the chronic lung condition and has shown reduced exacerbations in clinical trials. Tolebrutinib: An oral therapy under FDA…

More than half of health systems are understaffed in surgical departments, and about 60% of operations start later than scheduled, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. These delays ripple outward, increasing costs, wasting supplies and adding to clinician burnout while some patients wait weeks or months for…

Health systems are increasingly turning to outsourcing as a strategy to address operational inefficiencies and financial pressures. Recent moves by several systems reflect a growing trend of delegating revenue cycle and IT responsibilities to external partners to improve agility, cut costs and redirect focus to patient care. Roseville, Calif.-based Adventist…