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Nearly 75% of the 1.8 million jobs added in healthcare and social assistance over the past two years were women-held roles, according to an Aug. 26 report from Indeed’s Hiring Lab. Five things to know: 1. Women-held roles in healthcare and social assistance accounted for more than 38% of the…

Hospitals and health systems are rethinking workforce strategies amid financial pressures and evolving employee needs. For many, the focus is on long-term sustainability: strengthening culture, upskilling leaders and creating pathways for hard-to-fill roles.  Here, four leaders share the aspects of their workforce strategy they are rethinking. Editor’s note: Responses have…

AARP and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses awarded grants to 20 hospitals to expand or launch nurse innovation programs. The groups awarded more than $355,000 to 20 projects offering innovative and replicable solutions to strengthen the nursing workforce by creating and sustaining healthy work environments aimed at improving recruitment…

Charlotte Brown-Zalewa has been named vice president of marketing and communications at Manchester, N.H.-based Elliot Health System. Ms. Brown-Zalewa most recently worked in strategic communications at York, Pa.-based WellSpan Health. She has also served in marketing and physician relations leadership roles at Cambridge, Mass.-based Beth Israel Lahey Health, Andover, Mass.-based…

Fewer than 50 people have undergone partial heart transplants, but the procedure is emerging as a potential solution to the increase in discarded organs and growing transplant waiting list, according to an Aug. 27 report from The New York Times.  More than 2,000 children and 100,000 adults in the U.S.…

Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth has opened the AdventHealth Heart & Vascular Institute on its Littleton, Colo., campus.  The new facility represents a $150 million investment for the health system, according to an Aug. 26 report from NBC affiliate 9News.  Services provided at the heart center will include electrophysiology, surgery, intensive…

Utah Third District Court Judge Patrick Corum has ordered Dallas-based Steward Health Care to pay $951 million to a family after finding the health system liable for medical malpractice for birth injuries sustained during the 2019 delivery of a child at its former West Valley City, Utah-based Jordan Valley Medical…

Healthcare groups are condemning the FDA’s decision to issue narrow approvals for COVID-19 vaccines, saying the move will limit access for millions of Americans and raise the risk of severe outcomes ahead of respiratory virus season.  On Aug. 27, the FDA approved updated vaccines targeting newer strains of the virus…

The American Hospital Association sharply criticized a 340B rebate model pilot program from the Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency of HSS, warning the model threatens to undermine three decades of success under the existing 340B drug pricing program.  In an Aug. 27 letter addressed to Thomas Engels, administrator…

Purchased services spending has increased across all departments in recent years and health systems are taking a closer look at the data to identify trends and opportunities to improve vendor contract management. Kaufman Hall gathered monthly spending data by department to break down recent trends and found big upticks in…

Nearly one-third of readmissions occur at a different hospital than the original site of care, which limits a hospital’s visibility after a patient’s discharge and increases costs, according to an August report from Vizient.  Vizient researchers analyzed an all-payer dataset and U.S. Medicare claims in 2023 by the hospitalwide, all-cause,…

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles shared plans Aug. 27 to reduce its workforce as part of a strategic realignment. In a news release, the pediatric academic medical center said the move is intended to “ensure long-term sustainability and mission alignment amid growing financial challenges.” The reduction affects about 439 positions across…

Becker’s has reported on 11 health systems that have named new chief revenue officers in 2025: 1. Paterson, N.J.-based St. Joseph’s Health named Mike Alwell vice president and chief revenue officer. He has been with the system for seven years and most recently served as vice president and CFO of…

Fairfax, Va.-based Inova Health System has established five chair positions within the Inova Schar Heart and Vascular program.  Funding for the positions was made possible by a $75 million gift from Dwight and Martha Schar, according to an Aug. 27 news release from Inova.  The five chair appointments are as…

Becker’s has reported on the following hospital and health system COO moves since March 11, including individuals who joined new organizations and those promoted to new roles. Note: This page was created March 25 and updated Aug. 28. Aug. 13-28 1. Tyler Hillis was named COO of Foley, Ala.-based Baldwin…

Tyler Hillis has been named COO of Foley, Ala.-based Baldwin Health, part of Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems. Mr. Hillis brings more than 12 years of leadership experience with Chesterfield, Mo.-based Mercy, where he most recently served as COO of Mercy Hospital Ardmore in Oklahoma, according to an Aug. 1…

Health systems have been increasing IT spend over the last few years to unify EHRs, add artificial intelligence functionality and improve infrastructure and data management in preparation for future growth. Much of the spending is tied to outsourced contracts with vendor partners. Kaufman Hall examined the average monthly spending change…

Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health is calling for public health nurses to receive formal recognition as a distinct occupation from registered nurses. Published in Nursing Outlook, the study compared PHNs with other nurses by analyzing data from the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses from the Census Bureau…

Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreen has appointed Mike Motz as CEO, effective Aug. 28, as the company transitions into a private standalone organization. Mr. Motz previously served as CEO of Staples US Retail and was president of Shoppers Drug Mart, the largest pharmacy chain in Canada. He replaces Tim Wentworth, who will…

The following hospital and health system CEO departures, including retirements and leadership transitions, have been recently reported by Becker’s. Note: This page was created March 20 and updated Aug. 28. Aug. 14-25 1. Brian Sims exited his role as CEO of Lucas County Health Center in Chariton, Iowa, and was…

The FDA has approved Pfizer and BioNTech’s updated COVID-19 vaccine for adults 65 and older along with individuals ages 5-64 who are at increased risk of severe COVID-19.  The new formulation targets several SARS-CoV-2 sublineages, aligning with the FDA guidance to better match circulating strains expected during the 2025-2026 virus…

The rate of Medicare enrollees leaving acute care hospitals against medical advice increased 46% between 2006 and 2023, from 0.68% to 0.99% of discharges, according to a report from HHS’ Office of Inspector General.  The COVID-19 pandemic saw a spike of Medicare patients leaving hospitals against medical advice, with the…

A study led by Salt Lake City-based University of Utah analyzed nearly 150,000 hospitalized patients with critical injuries and found that a majority of these patients are not transferred to an appropriate site of care.  Transfers to higher-level care centers, such as level 1 or 2 trauma centers, is called…

In 2022, the American Nurses Credentialing Center unveiled the Magnet with Distinction program to recognize the world’s highest performing Magnet organizations. Since then, 40 hospitals in the U.S. and one in Saudi Arabia have achieved the designation.  The ANCC, a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association, awards hospitals Magnet designations based…