Elizabeth Gregerson

The University of Chicago Medicine has launched a national cancer network, and has selected AdventHealth Cancer Institute Shawnee Mission in Merriam, Kan., as its first affiliate.  The UChicago Medicine Cancer Network will allow national affiliates to remain independent while aligning with UChicago Medicine’s clinical care, medical education and biomedical research…

Physicians treating Medicare patients have seen their real income drop by more than 33% since 2016, fueled by stagnant reimbursement, growing Medicare Advantage enrollment and surging operating costs, according to a report published Aug. 18 by Omniscient Health, a data science, research and consulting firm. As financial pressure mounts, some…

Hospitals nationwide are showing signs of stronger financial footing, though the pace of recovery varies by region, according to a report from Moody’s.  Rising revenues and moderating expenses are contributing to healthier margins, while liquidity and leverage trends highlight both opportunities and ongoing pressures. At the same time, reliance on…

Orlando-based University of Central Florida opened a new nurse training facility, made possible in part by financial support from three Florida health systems. The Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion will enable UCF to graduate an additional 150 licensed nurses each year, according to an Aug. 18 news release from the university. …

The share of unemployed Americans with no prior work experience reached 13.4% in July — its highest level since April 1988, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. One possible driver is uncertainty around trade policies, which research shows can dampen hiring, according to an Aug. 12 analysis from the…

North Carolina Medicaid providers will see at least a 3% cut in reimbursement rates beginning Oct. 1, with services like long-term behavioral healthcare, hospital care, nursing homes and physicians seeing 8% to 10% in cuts. The cuts come after state lawmakers passed a stopgap “mini budget” spending plan, which leaves…

Twenty hospitals were named to healthcare staffing firm Soliant’s 2025 Most Beautiful Hospitals list, which recognizes both architectural beauty and quality of care. Leaders from eight of the hospitals shared with Becker’s how redesigned spaces have improved patient flow in the past year. Note: Responses have been lightly edited for…

Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Avera will use $1 million in federal funding to expand its virtual nursing program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s distance learning and telemedicine program awarded Avera $1,017,126 over three years to enhance access to virtual patient care at 28 rural healthcare sites in South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska…

Median hourly base pay for registered nurses varies across states, with RNs in California earning the most, according to SullivanCotter’s “2025 Health Care Staff Compensation Survey Report.” The survey, released in July, covers nearly 2.5 million healthcare employees across over 2,660 participating organizations, including more than 800,000 individual RNs, licensed…

The $50 billion rural hospital transformation program that is part of the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act might aim to support rural healthcare, but an Aug. 19 Bloomberg editorial said it amounts to “something of a slush fund.” The funds, which will allocate the $50 billion over five…

Tech companies are accelerating their push into healthcare, unveiling new AI tools aimed at everything from documenting patient visits to supporting medical care in space. Here’s a look at recent moves by tech giants expanding their footprint in healthcare AI: Google and NASA are collaborating on a new AI-powered tool…

In a departure from the CDC’s recommendations, the American Academy of Pediatrics said all children between 6 months and 2 years old should receive a COVID-19 vaccine for the 2025-26 virus season.  The AAP released the recommendations Aug. 19. They differ from the CDC’s guidance published in May, which advises…

Here are 21 health systems that recently had their outlooks upgraded by Fitch Ratings or Moody’s Investors Service in 2025. Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Health systems were compiled from credit rating reports. Boston Children’s Hospital’s outlook was revised to stable from negative by Moody’s. The revision reflects…

AI has been firmly integrated into revenue cycle management (RCM) as organizations look to boost efficiency, enhance patient experience and prepare for a rapidly evolving future. In a recent discussion hosted by Becker’s Healthcare and Zotec Partners, leaders shared strategies for balancing cutting-edge innovation with operational realities. The conversation featured…

Health systems are taking on what one leader has called the “next major workforce crisis”: a shortage of nurse educators. In 2024, U.S. nursing schools turned away 80,162 qualified applications. Within that total, 65,398 applications from entry-level baccalaureate were turned away, 1,530 from RN-to-BSN, 7,603 from master’s, 5,366 from DNP…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Members of SEIU 1199NE have reached a tentative labor contract with Care New England’s Butler Hospital in Providence, R.I. Both parties confirmed the agreement in a brief joint statement shared with Becker’s. “On behalf of both Butler Hospital and members of the bargaining committee representing all job classifications of the…

AI is no longer an abstract concept for healthcare; it’s delivering measurable operational and clinical gains. But to capture value without leaving staff behind, leaders must take a deliberate, systemwide approach. During a recent discussion hosted by Becker’s Healthcare and Healthlink Advisors, Patrick Woodard, MD, CIO of Monument Health in…

President Donald Trump on Aug. 13 revoked Executive Order 14036, a 2021 directive issued under the Biden administration aimed at promoting competition across the U.S. economy, including healthcare. Five things to know: 1. Executive Order 14036 ((Promoting Competition in the American Economy) is no longer in effect. The Biden-era order,…

Novant Health Future Forward, a new debt-free education initiative, is now available to eligible team members at Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health. Beginning Aug. 18, the system will cover up to $5,250 in annual pre-paid tuition for full-time employees and $2,625 for part-time employees, according to an Aug. 18 health system…

Seattle-based Fred Hutchinson Cancer Institute had the lowest admission rate for patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy of all prospective payment system-exempt cancer hospitals between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024.  Eleven cancer hospitals are required to participate in the PPS-Exempt Cancer Hospital Quality Reporting Program, a specialized quality reporting program…