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Thomas Kruse was appointed executive vice president and chief strategy and growth officer of Marietta, Ga.-based Wellstar Health System, effective March 30, according to a health system news release shared with Becker’s. In his new role, Mr. Kruse will lead enterprise-level strategy and transformation, evaluate market expansion and affiliation opportunities,…

So far in 2026, about half a dozen U.S. hospitals and health systems have said they plan to expand rehabilitation services as organizations aim to ease capacity strains and meet rising demand.  In January, Springfield, Ill.-based Hospital Sisters Health System and Brentwood, Tenn.-based Lifepoint Health said they are partnering on…

California and Nevada hospice providers had the lowest care-quality scores despite spending the most per beneficiary to provide care between Jan. 1, 2023, and Dec. 31, 2024, according to CMS data released Feb. 18. Rhode Island and West Virginia had the highest hospice care quality scores during the data collection…

Grand Blanc, Mich.-based McLaren Health Care has launched a cardiovascular screening program in partnership with Bunkerhill Health. The program applies Bunkerhill Health’s AI platform to clinical data from patients’ routine chest CT scans previously performed for other medical reasons, according to a Feb. 18 news release from the health system.…

The North Carolina Department of Justice and North Carolina Department of Insurance alerted pharmacy benefit managers Feb. 17 that the state’s SCRIPT Act is now in effect, and said they are prepared to enforce the law. Attorney General Jeff Jackson and Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey said their offices will work…

CVS Health has launched a $5 million scholarship program to support students pursuing a Doctor of Pharmacy degree at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans or the University of Louisiana at Monroe. The scholarship will open in the 2026-27 academic year, according to a Feb. 18 news release. CVS…

Commissioners in Pratt County, Kan., directed their counsel Feb. 17 to withdraw a lease termination notice that threatened the status of Pratt Regional Medical Center and renewed a commitment to keep the hospital running. The county sent PRMC a Jan. 23 notice of default and claimed the hospital owed more…

The FDA has agreed to review Moderna’s investigational flu vaccine for potential approval, about a week after telling the drugmaker it would not consider the application. On Feb. 10, the agency notified the drugmaker that it would not review its application for an mRNA-based flu vaccine, citing issues with the…

Healthcare is investing in AI. But most operating models haven’t changed Health systems have long had more manual work to do than staff to perform it. Now, these health systems are rapidly adopting AI under the promise that it will take on more autonomous work and deliver outcomes at a…

The latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which ranks the world’s 500 richest people across industries, includes seven leaders from U.S. healthcare.  The wealthiest person in U.S. healthcare, as of Feb. 17, is Thomas Frist Jr., MD, co-founder of HCA Healthcare. Below are billionaires in U.S. healthcare from the Bloomberg index of…

Here are 10 health systems with strong operational metrics and solid financial positions, according to reports from credit rating agencies Fitch Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service released in 2026. Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Health systems were compiled from credit rating reports. CentraCare has an “AA-” rating and…

While nearly half of behavioral health visits happen remotely, non-mental health conditions still account for tens of millions of telehealth appointments, a new study found. Every year, an estimated 31 million mental health visits are remote, compared to 29 million for non-behavioral health reasons, according to the research published Feb.…

The FDA has issued a warning regarding a labeling issue affecting several of Trividia Health’s True Metrix blood glucose monitoring systems that could delay treatment during episodes of severe hyperglycemia. Trividia issued a correction in a Feb. 6 letter to customers covering all models of its True Metrix systems, according…

One Brooklyn Health just weathered one of New York City’s worst flu seasons in a decade. Its nurses, already stretched thin, had delivered strike notices weeks earlier. Its margins were already in the negative. And its patient population is squarely in the crosshairs of federal policy changes projected to strip…

A nationwide shortage of breast imaging radiologists is making it harder for women to get timely mammograms and follow-up diagnostic care, according to a new report. The analysis, conducted by Medicus Healthcare Solutions, estimates there are about 7,500 breast imaging radiologists in the U.S. — roughly four per 100,000 women…

People’s experience with healthcare is variable, sometimes outstanding, too often poor. When accessing care, people frequently encounter chaos: fragmented processes, impersonal interactions and burdensome tasks. Coordinating their care can feel less like a thoughtfully designed journey and more like a scavenger hunt, leaving individuals confused and unsupported. When receiving care,…

Six weeks into 2026, the CDC has confirmed 910 measles cases. If the pace of transmission continues, this year could far outpace the 2,280 cases detected across the U.S. in 2025, as 2026’s total is already 40% of 2025’s.  The hardest-hit state is South Carolina with 616 cases confirmed by…

Telehealth use for primary care has leveled off after growing significantly amid the pandemic, Epic researchers found. Here are four things to know from the EHR vendor’s Feb. 17 study of 411 million primary care visits between July 2022 and October 2025: 1. Telehealth utilization in primary care has been…

Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare’s nonprofit public charity, Prime Healthcare Foundation, acquired Lewiston-based Central Maine Healthcare on Feb. 16. The foundation received Maine’s approval to acquire Central Maine Healthcare in late November after sharing plans to acquire it in January 2025.  The transaction comprises Lewiston-based Central Maine Medical Center, Bridgton (Maine)…

Humana’s healthcare services division CenterWell has completed its acquisition of MaxHealth, a Tampa, Fla.-based primary care network focused on adults and seniors, the company said Feb. 13. MaxHealth operates 54 primary care clinics, four specialty/ancillary clinics and 24 affiliated clinics throughout West and South Florida, serving more than 120,000 patients.…

Cleveland Clinic recently became the first health system in the U.S. to use a new robotic-assisted surgery system for prostatectomy. The FDA approved the Hugo RAS system in December. The system includes modular arms that let surgeons select operating angles and an open-console setup in which the surgeon uses foot…

HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill and General Counsel Mike Stuart plan to step down from their roles, Politico reported Feb. 13. The two senior leaders are being offered other positions within the administration, a person familiar with the matter told Politico. Mr. O’Neill was named acting CDC director in August…

Clearwater, Fla.-based BayCare Health System has appointed Robert Carvajal as chief information security officer. He will be tasked with leading BayCare’s cybersecurity strategy and oversee information security governance across the health system, according to a Feb. 16 news release from BayCare. He will also work closely with executive leadership to…

In healthcare, we prepare for emergencies, but nothing prepares you for the words I heard on the night of Feb. 4 – our facility was on fire: a devastating blaze was raging at the Jefferson Health campus of Lehigh Valley Hospital–Dickson City, in Northeast Pennsylvania near Scranton. On that frigid…