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Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston is earning national recognition for embedding healthy work environments into daily operations — a strategy leaders say is key to retaining nurses in today’s competitive workforce climate. In January, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses recognized 580 hospital units nationwide with its Beacon Award…

A data-driven approach to physician staffing across multiple hospitals can significantly cut overtime and idle time, translating into meaningful cost savings for health systems, according to a new study. In a study published in the February edition of Operations Research, researchers examined a dynamic staffing model implemented at the University…

A federal judge in the Northern District of Illinois granted a temporary restraining order Feb. 12 blocking the Trump administration from terminating more than $600 million in CDC-administered public health grants to California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota for 14 days. Judge Manish Shah wrote in a two-page order that the…

Of the 28 hospitals CMS has fined for alleged price transparency violations, only two have bed counts above 550, while 10 have 30 or fewer beds. CMS bases its civil monetary penalties on hospital bed counts. Fines fall into three tiers: Hospitals with more than 550 beds can be fined…

Patients with endometrial hyperplasia or benign uterine pathology had a 66% reduced risk of developing endometrial cancer when treated with progestins and a GLP-1 compared to patients treated with progestins alone, according to a study published Feb. 10 in JAMA Network Open. GLP-1 medications have also been associated with a…

Hospital affiliations with primary care providers are up about 17% in the last four years and are seeing mixed results, a recent Medscape report found. The “Realities of Primary Care Affiliations Report 2026,” published Feb. 6, surveyed 1,363 physicians across 29 specialties between July 2 and Nov. 19. Here are…

The federal direct-to-consumer website TrumpRx.gov currently lists 43 brand-name medications accessible through manufacturer-run cash discount programs. The website, launched Feb. 5, connects consumers to pricing tied to most-favored-nation agreements between drugmakers and the federal government. The platform is primarily designed for uninsured patients or those without coverage for medications commonly…

CMS has fined 28 hospitals in 16 states and Puerto Rico for alleged price transparency violations. Here are the hospitals that have been fined, by state or territory: Alabama (2) D.W. McMillan Memorial Hospital (Brewton) Hill Hospital of Sumter County (York) Arkansas (2) Arkansas Methodist Medical Center (Paragould) Fulton County…

Price transparency laws for healthcare organizations were first implemented in 2021 and have progressively strengthened since, but have they helped patients? The laws were introduced during President Donald Trump’s first term and require hospitals to publicly post their payer-specific negotiation rates. In 2022, a companion rule imposed similar requirements on…

Healthcare employment continued to grow in January, with the industry adding 81,900 jobs, according to the latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. BLS released the January jobs report Feb. 11. Here are three more takeaways: 1. January’s healthcare job growth was above the industry’s average monthly gain…

Forbes recognized 56 hospitals and health systems on its 11th annual list of America’s Best Large Employers released Feb. 10. The publication partnered with the market research firm Statista to survey more than 217,000 U.S. employees at companies with more than 1,000 employees. Companies that employ more than 5,000 people…

There are 417 rural hospitals that are vulnerable to closure, according to a Feb. 10 report from Chartis, a healthcare advisory services firm.  Chartis’ Rural Hospital Vulnerability Index assesses more than a dozen indicators to identify which are statistically significant for determining the likelihood of closure. The number of overall…

About 2,100 nurses and healthcare workers from four hospitals operated by Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare are set to strike this month across California and Nevada. Six things to know: 1. One-day strikes are planned at Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding, Calif. (Feb. 19), Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood,…

Successfully approaching organizational change — whether it involves new technology, policies or workflows — is a key responsibility for hospital and health system CEOs, especially in 2026 as they navigate a convergence of financial strain, workforce pressure and emerging tools like artificial intelligence. Leaders say some of their most important…

A majority of nurses who left bedside roles in recent years are willing to return, with adequate staffing levels cited as the main factor that would reattract them, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in Philadelphia. The study, published Feb. 9…

CMS has issued fines to 28 hospitals for alleged price transparency violations. Here are the fine amounts CMS has levied against those hospitals: UF Health North (Jacksonville, Fla.): $979,000 Northside Hospital Atlanta: $883,180 Jackson Memorial Hospital (Miami): $871,122 Community First Medical Center (Chicago): $847,740 Holy Cross Hospital (Silver Spring, Md.):…

Patients who take advantage of zero-cost preventive screenings see better health outcomes and reduced spending, according to January research from BCBS Association and Blue Health Intelligence. The groups reviewed claims data of BCBS members with breast or colorectal cancer. The research pointed to lower likelihood of invasive tests and treatment. Eighty-one percent…

The CDC on Feb. 4 published a new framework for hospitals aimed at reducing missed, delayed and incorrect diagnoses, positioning diagnostic excellence as a patient safety priority alongside efforts such as antibiotic stewardship. The framework, titled “Core Elements of Hospital Diagnostic Excellence,” outlines key actions hospitals can take to improve…

Nurses’ clinical intervention and barcode medication scanning emerged as the two biggest safeguards preventing patient harm in intensive care units at Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai, according to a study published in The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. Researchers analyzed 288 near misses reported in 2024 from inpatient critical…

Eighteen attorneys general are urging HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, to reinstate minimum staffing requirements for skilled nursing facilities. The minimum staffing requirements, along with other protections, were established by the Nursing Home Reform initiative. These include set minimum staffing standards for nursing…

Health systems are increasing their expectations for nurse managers without proper support, which risks workforce stability, according to a Feb. 5 article from Vizient and Kaufman Hall.  The position “has become increasingly unsustainable” because of elevated turnover and growing scopes of control, with 1 in 4 nurse managers overseeing more…

With health systems now controlling the majority of U.S. hospital beds, mergers often promise better care. However, a paper published in September 2025 in Social Science & Medicine by University of Pennsylvania researchers Mark Pauly, PhD, and Lawton Burns, PhD, found the claims do not hold up. The paper, obtained…

As the fastest-growing U.S. state, South Carolina’s population growth is prompting health systems to expand and strengthen their workforce to meet rising demand for care.  Driven by a net domestic migration increase of 66,622, the state’s population grew 1.5%, or by 79,958 residents, between July 1, 2024, and July 1,…

As U.S. immigration officials receive access to Medicaid beneficiary data, hospitals and states are unsure whether to warn patients who are immigrants, according to a Feb. 6 KFF Health News report.  Healthcare facilities are facing a dilemma: Telling patients the Department of Homeland Security may access their personal information could…