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Cleveland-based University Hospitals has activated a whole-hospital virtual nursing program at UH Lake West Medical Center, expanding its connected care team initiative. The program, which went live Sept. 17, uses Vitalchat’s AI-powered video platform to extend the reach of nurses through secure, two-way communication, according to the news release. Virtual…

More than 1 million U.S. nurses are expected to retire by 2030 — far outpacing the projected number of new nurse graduates, according to research published Sept. 16.  A study at the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, based in Washington, D.C., investigated the growing skills shortage across…

California is the most diverse state in the U.S., and West Virginia is the least, according to a new analysis from WalletHub, published Sept. 16. The personal finance website compared states across six dimensions of diversity: socioeconomic, cultural, economic, household, religious and political. Analysts evaluated those dimensions across 14 metrics,…

Here are four new drug shortages and discontinuations, according to drug supply databases from the FDA and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.  Gemcitabine hydrochloride injection: Hospira has discontinued manufacturing of its 200 milligram/5.26 milliliter, 1 gram/26.3 milliliter and 2 gram/52.6 milliliter NovaPlus single-dose glass vials of gemcitabine hydrochloride injection,…

Leaders from some of the top hospitals for emergency department excellence are sharing their low-lift processes and practices that helped them earn national honors. In July, the Emergency Nurses Association recognized 96 hospital emergency departments for demonstrating outstanding leadership, practice, education and advocacy that resulted in improved patient care and…

While clogged arteries are the most common cause of heart attacks, more than half of heart attacks in women under the age of 65 can be attributed to other causes, according to a study published Sept. 15 in JACC.  Led by Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic researchers, the study analyzed data…

Prosecutors in Florida have charged 12 former nursing school owners and employees with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a coordinated scheme to sell thousands of fraudulent diplomas and transcripts to aspiring nurses. Four notes: 1. On Sept. 15, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of…

Amazon has added Fay, a dietitian platform, as the first nutrition care service available through its Health Benefits Connector. The collaboration allows eligible Amazon customers to discover and enroll in Fay’s insurance-covered nutrition services while browsing for wellness and health benefits, according to a Sept. 16 news release. Fay connects…

Congress is staring down a fast-approaching Sept. 30 government funding deadline. For hospitals and health systems, the outcome could shape years of strategy and operations. House Republicans are preparing to introduce a short-term continuing resolution to keep the government open through Nov. 20, but Democrats are warning they won’t support…

More than half of U.S. healthcare workers plan to change roles in the next year, according to a recent survey from Strategic Education. Fifty-five percent of respondents said they plan to search for job openings, interview for new positions or switch roles within a year — either within their current…

While recruitment demand for physicians remains steady, search times continue to rise, and turnover persists, according to the Association for Advancing Physician and Provider Recruitment’s annual benchmarking report.  The report, released Sept. 10, is based on data from 128 health organizations on 15,244 searches, 61% of which were for physicians.…

Nurse retention remains a major challenge for U.S. hospitals, as emotional fatigue and generational differences reshape how healthcare leaders support their nursing teams.  Becker’s spoke with seven health system nursing leaders about difficulties they encountered in addressing burnout and supporting their nurses.  Question: What is one aspect of nurse retention…

Between July 7, 2023, and June 30, 2024, Houston-based University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center had the highest percentage of patient rating scores at 9 or 10 among all cancer hospitals exempt from reporting to Medicare’s Inpatient Prospective Payment System. Eleven cancer hospitals are required to participate in the…

Hartford, Ky.-based Ohio County Hospital has saved more than $40,000 a year by converting all of their nurses to salaried positions. The change came about during COVID, when 50% of night shift nurses in the medical-surgical unit were staying for only six to eight months, and what staff remained were…

In my early days as medical director in the neonatal intensive care unit, I learned quickly that leadership isn’t about having all the answers; rather, it’s about building collaborative teams and creating space for others to contribute meaningfully. That same philosophy shaped how I approach mentorship today. Whether I’m supporting…

Registered nurses at HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital in Fort Walton Beach have voted in favor of unionizing. In a two-day vote, from Sept. 10-11, more than 65% of nurses voted to join National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United, according to a union news release. “I am absolutely overwhelmed and…

CMS on Sept. 15 released new details on how states can apply for the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program.  The program, enacted under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act and expanded through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, aims to improve access, care quality and infrastructure in rural communities.…

Nonprofit hospitals are experiencing a markedly uneven financial landscape in 2025, with profitability trends diverging sharply by region and hospital size, according to Kaufman Hall’s latest National Hospital Flash Report.https://www.kaufmanhall.com/insights/research-report/national-hospital-flash-report-july-2025-data While overall operating margins are up 4% year to date compared to 2024, the picture is far from uniform. Large…

For nursing informatics leaders, the job is less about chasing the latest gadget and more about navigating competing demands. On one side are shrinking budgets, exhausted clinicians and the breakneck pace of digital change. On the other is the promise that technology can lighten workloads and improve patient care. Caught…

The proportion of pediatric radiologists — among all radiologists in the U.S. — decreased from 6.4% to 4.6% between 2016 and 2023, according to a study published Sept. 8 in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.  Researchers from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia analyzed private payer claims data and…

How will the recent federal budget legislation – the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) – slowly and inevitably undermine rural hospitals? Here is how it will happen. The OBBB over time will significantly reduce the number of individuals receiving Medicaid benefits while simultaneously cutting back on Medicaid reimbursements. Cutting…

More than 100,000 Americans are waiting for organ transplants, and each day, an average of 13 die before a donor becomes available. Despite broad public support for organ donation — surveys suggest nearly 9 in 10 adults are in favor of registering — far fewer people take the step of…

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to obtain medical records from Boston Children’s Hospital related to gender-affirming care, ruling that the Justice Department’s subpoena was improper and “motivated only by bad faith,” according to court documents obtained by Becker’s. Here are five things to know about the…

Competency tracking is an important part of nursing professional development, used to ensure new hires and experienced staff are meeting skills requirements tied to orientation, annual education and regulatory standards. At Chicago-based Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, tracking nurse competencies once meant navigating a cumbersome paper…