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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,…

Becker’s asked five health system strategic leaders about the role value-based care plays in their system’s strategic planning and how they’re managing the challenges it presents. If you are a COO or strategic leader in healthcare and are interested in joining Becker’s Healthcare COO + Strategic Leader virtual community, please contact…

U.S. healthcare spending is on a path that has finance leaders increasingly uneasy. With national health expenditures projected to reach $8.6 trillion by 2033 — and consume more than 20% of the nation’s GDP — health system leaders say the conversation around cost containment, payment reform and sustainability can no…

More than 20 million people were affected by the 10 largest healthcare data breaches reported to the federal government in 2025, TechTarget reported Dec. 22, citing information from the HHS Office for Civil Rights’ public data breach portal. More than 35 million people were impacted by large healthcare data breaches…

A new analysis suggests the cumulative financial strain of healthcare is more widespread than annual snapshots indicate — and most Americans will experience unaffordable costs during their lifetimes. The study, published Dec. 22 in JAMA Internal Medicine, was conducted by researchers from Harvard Medical School in Boston, the City University…

Seven nursing specialties reported turnover rates above the national average in 2024,  according to the NSI National Health Care Retention & RN Staffing Report. The 2025 report, released in March, includes survey findings from 450 hospitals in 37 states on registered nurse turnover, retention, vacancy rates, recruitment metrics and staffing…

Health system C-suites are approaching a pivotal inflection point. By 2030, leaders will be navigating an environment defined by persistent margin pressure, workforce scarcity, accelerating digital transformation and a decisive shift toward value-based care. The traditional executive playbook, built around functional silos, long planning cycles and incremental change, is no…

Respiratory virus season is in full gear, with flu admissions rising quickly in recent weeks, according to the latest national data from the CDC. Fourteen states reported high levels of flu-like illness during the week ending Dec. 13. Of those, five states — Colorado, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York and…

New findings from the American Hospital Association highlight where hospital quality strategies are gaining traction — and where leaders say additional support is needed. The insights come from the AHA’s Quality Exchange, a virtual collaborative of more than 250 healthcare quality and patient safety leaders that launched this year. The…

Hospitals and health systems face mounting pharmacy-related challenges across access, affordability, workforce and supply chain, according to the American Hospital Association’s 2026 Environmental Scan. The report, published Dec. 3, was designed as a roadmap for hospital leaders and covers financial trends, developments in AI, chronic disease trends and more issues.…

Tariff uncertainty, inflation, and persistent import dependencies shaped hospital supply chain decisions throughout 2025, according to the American Hospital Association’s 2026 Environmental Scan. Supply and drug expenses accounted for more than one-fifth of total hospital spending last year — with supplies representing 13% and drugs 9%. At the same time,…

Nurse turnover and vacancy rates have declined since their pandemic-era peaks but remain slightly elevated, according to the 2025 NSI National Health Care Retention & RN Staffing Report. The report, released in March, includes survey findings from 450 hospitals in 37 states on registered nurse turnover, retention, vacancy rates, recruitment…

Healthcare remained the most expensive industry for data breaches in 2025 for the 14th consecutive year, according to the American Hospital Association’s 2026 Environmental Scan. The average cost of a healthcare breach in the U.S. was $9.8 million in 2025, outpacing all other sectors. Although this was down from $10.9…

Layoffs, AI-driven workplace changes and stagnant pay in 2025 have prompted some workers in their 40s to return to the classroom, The Wall Street Journal reported Dec. 13. Some are switching industries, while others are pursuing higher degrees to meet heightened qualification standards or enrolling in college for the first…

A study published Dec. 18 in the BMJ found hospitals acquired by real estate investment trusts can see a significantly higher risk of bankruptcy or closure, even as most quality-of-care and financial performance measures stay unchanged.  The study was led by researchers from the University of Chicago, Boston-based Massachusetts General…