$50B rural health fund not a cure-all for hospitals: Bloomberg

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…

Healthcare billing fraud: 10 recent cases

Here are 10 healthcare billing fraud cases that Becker’s has reported since July 17: 1. A Maryland physician and his practice were ordered to pay $1.4 million for fraudulently billing Medicare. 2. A Houston physician agreed to pay more than $2 million to resolve allegations that he submitted fraudulent claims…

Fairview’s $600M financial turnaround, explained

St. Paul, Minn.-based Fairview Health Services reported its first operating profit in six years last year, solidifying a $600 million turnaround in two years. How did they do it? “We’ve really focused on building a culture of resiliency,” said Joe Gaylord, executive vice president and CFO of Fairview, in a…

The clinical workflows CNIOs say are overdue for tech change

Clinical workflows continue to be a major source of inefficiency and frustration for nurses. Documentation, admissions, and medication reconciliation often remain manual, time-consuming and prone to error, even as technology advances in other parts of care delivery. Chief nursing informatics officers told Becker’s that rethinking these processes with tools such…

The C-suite’s AI learning curve: Why some CEOs are playing catch-up

While many CEOs are mandating artificial intelligence use across their organizations, some executives have yet to integrate the tools into their daily work, The New York Times reported Aug. 16. Younger employees tend to have greater comfort with AI and new technologies. Those early in their career typically do more…

Sutter Medical Center taps nurse CEO

Megan Gillespie, DNP, RN, has been named CEO of Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Medical Center. Dr. Gillespie has spent nearly 25 years in healthcare leadership roles, most recently as CEO of Sutter Santa Rosa (Calif.) Regional Hospital. She stepped into that position in October 2023, where she led measurable improvements in…

Tech giants accelerate push into healthcare with AI

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…

Pediatrics group breaks with CDC on COVID vaccine guidance

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…

AstraZeneca launches 1st at-home flu vaccine

AstraZeneca has issued its flu vaccine nasal spray for at-home use. The nasal spray is authorized for use by adults ages 18-49 and for caregiver use with children ages 2-17, according to an Aug. 15 news release from the drugmaker. FluMist was initially approved by the FDA in 2003 and…

Epic to roll out MyChart Central

Epic is rolling out MyChart Central, a new patient-focused login system enabling individuals to access health records from multiple participating providers using a single Epic ID. Epic made the announcement via its official X account on Aug. 15. “One way we’re simplifying patient access to health information goes live this…

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