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Boise, Idaho-based St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center had the lowest 30-day readmission rate for heart failure patients between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2024, according to CMS data published Aug. 6.  The CMS measure is based on unplanned readmissions within 30 days of discharge from a hospitalization related to…

Eli Lilly’s oral GLP-1, orforglipron, led to significant weight loss and blood sugar reductions in a late-stage clinical trial.  In the phase 3 study, adults with obesity, were overweight and with Type 2 diabetes lost an average of 10.5% of their body weight after 72 weeks on the highest dose…

Shannon Levesque has been named Nashua, N.H.-based Southern New Hampshire Health’s first chief people officer. In her new role, Ms. Levesque will lead workforce development and talent strategy to help the health system meet area needs, according to an Aug. 26 news release shared with Becker’s. Prior to her new…

UT Medical Center has expanded its longstanding partnership with the University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Nursing by investing in a new facility and additional scholarships for students. Four notes:  1. Over the past five years, the institutions’ collaboration has supported a 24.5% increase in nursing school enrollment, according to…

OptumRx, a UnitedHealth subsidiary, is tracking three new drugs this year:  Brensocatib: An oral treatment for noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis which gained FDA approval Aug. 12. It is the first targeted therapy for the chronic lung condition and has shown reduced exacerbations in clinical trials. Tolebrutinib: An oral therapy under FDA…

More than half of health systems are understaffed in surgical departments, and about 60% of operations start later than scheduled, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. These delays ripple outward, increasing costs, wasting supplies and adding to clinician burnout while some patients wait weeks or months for…

Health systems are increasingly turning to outsourcing as a strategy to address operational inefficiencies and financial pressures. Recent moves by several systems reflect a growing trend of delegating revenue cycle and IT responsibilities to external partners to improve agility, cut costs and redirect focus to patient care. Roseville, Calif.-based Adventist…

The rate of older adult patients discharged to post-acute care facilities following a major surgery can be used as a benchmark for hospital quality, according to a study published Aug. 14 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.  Researchers evaluated data from 277,160 patients aged 65 or older…

Trinity Health Michigan has appointed Michelle Peña, MSN, RN, regional chief nursing officer. She will step into the role Aug. 31 and will be responsible for all nursing operations, including workforce development, operational efficiency and clinical excellence, according to a news release. Ms. Peña will report to Trinity Health Michigan’s…

The first human case of a flesh-eating parasite has been detected in the U.S., NBC News reported Aug. 25.  The case involved a Maryland person who had recently traveled to El Salvador. The CDC confirmed they were infected with “New World screwworm.” Here’s what to know: 1. This is the…

While paper documentation still lingers in certain areas of health system operations, today’s physicians are largely spared from the manual record retrieval and clunky metal filing cabinets that were commonplace before the rise of the EHR. However, physicians still face significant cognitive burden in the form of clicks and time…

MetroHealth plans to close six outpatient offices in October to improve operational efficiency and stabilize its finances. The Cleveland-based system said services offered at the affected sites will be consolidated to larger locations and enable it to expand services and hours of operation, according to an Aug. 25 news release.…

The healthcare industry is once again recalibrating after President Donald Trump revoked a Biden-era executive order aimed at limiting hospital consolidation.  While some health system leaders see the move as a green light for growth and regional alignment, others remain skeptical, warning that systemic challenges — from payer leverage to…

Workforce planning is more complex for healthcare chief human resources officers as the effects of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act come into focus and AI adoption accelerates. Amid this environment, leaders are taking a calculated approach, weighing evolving employee expectations alongside compensation and benefits, while collaborating with other executives…

Medications are rarely made from start to finish in a single country; raw materials, active ingredients and final products often cross multiple borders before reaching patients in the U.S., The New York Times reported Aug. 23.  Here are four notes:  According to data shared with the Times by U.S. Pharmacopeia,…

In early August, Flint, Mich.-based Insight Health System shared plans to reopen two of its Warren, Ohio, hospitals, Insight Hospital and Medical Center Trumbull and Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital, which have been temporarily closed since late March.  The two facilities halted operations due to ongoing bankruptcy and financial challenges stemming from…

The market for physicians is becoming more intense as hospitals and medical groups compete for a shrinking pool of talent. Current projections from the Association of American Medical Colleges show the U.S. faces a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036, and the demand for care will likely increase…

Boston Scientific issued a recall of its Carotid Wallstent Monorail Endoprosthesis due to a manufacturing defect that could cause resistance during device withdrawal.  Affected units were found to have an inner lumen smaller than specified, creating a risk of resistance when removing the stent delivery system, according to an Aug.…

A growing number of hospitals and health systems have expanded their C-suite ranks in the last few years to include leaders dedicated to advancing maternal and infant health, reflecting a new level of urgency as hospitals work to address longstanding disparities in outcomes and prepare for a projected rise in…

Becker’s has reported on 20 hospital and emergency department closures in 2025: Editor’s note: This article will be updated continuously. 1. Willows, Calif.-based Glenn Medical Center plans to close its emergency department, with the hospital closing shortly after, following CMS’ plan to revoke its critical access hospital designation, effective Oct.…

In the last four years, Cleveland-based University Hospitals has sought to reduce administrative burden and clinical guidance inconsistencies through an audit of thousands of systemwide policies.  As of July, the system has retired 2,812 policies it described as duplicative, burdensome or both. Oftentimes, the organization’s policy did not reflect each…

Nurses at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh have voted to unionize, in what SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania called the largest nurse organizing effort in Pennsylvania in at least a decade. The union filed a request for an election with the National Labor Relations Board on May 27. On Aug. 19-23, nurses…

The nation’s largest for-profit health systems have filed their second-quarter earnings reports, detailing payer mixes by patient service revenue, patient admissions or both in the first six months of 2025.  HCA Healthcare (Nashville, Tenn.)  Payer mix by net operating revenues as of June 30: Commercial: 49.2% Managed Medicare: 18% Medicare:…

As healthcare continues to transform, many workforce leaders agree that the skills needed for tomorrow’s workforce go far beyond the traditional way of thinking. With shifting patient needs, AI and new technologies emerging, adaptability and a willingness to evolve will be crucial for employees at every level. Becker’s connected with…