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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…

The flu season is off to a severe and early start, with outpatient visits for flu-like illness already reaching levels rarely seen this time of year. As of mid-December, the rate of outpatient visits for flu-like illness was tracking as the third-highest since 2010. In the week ending Dec. 13,…

Becker’s has compiled a list of the hospitals patients are most likely to recommend in every state using Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems data from CMS. CMS shares 10 HCAHPS star ratings based on publicly reported HCAHPS measures. The recommended hospital star rating is based on patients’…

Seven hundred fifty-six rural U.S. hospitals are at risk of closure due to financial problems, with more than 40% of those hospitals at immediate risk of closure. The counts are drawn from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform’s most recent analysis, based on hospitals’ latest cost reports submitted…

As hospital and health system CEOs work to advance key strategies in 2026 — from ambulatory investments to artificial intelligence integration — which numbers are guiding them? While there is no single metric shaping strategy, four executives told Becker’s they are sharpening their focus on performance indicators they have long…

Revenue cycle teams are entering a new era: one shaped by AI, intelligent tools and emerging roles. As technology rapidly evolves and new data science partners enter the space, health systems face growing pressure to match the automation capabilities payers have leveraged for years. The future of revenue cycle work,…

Health insurance, vacation time and paid sick leave are the most-valued employee benefits among U.S. workers, according to a Dec. 4 report from Indeed’s Hiring Lab. The findings are based on Indeed’s 2025 Workforce Insights Survey, which polled 80,936 adults between May and June across eight countries: the U.S., UK,…