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Introduction

Hospitals lose millions of dollars each year due to incomplete or inaccurate charge capture in the operating room. From missed implants and barcode scanning failures to delays in documentation and item master mismatches, these breakdowns directly erode revenue and compliance. In a healthcare economy defined by shrinking margins and expanding bundled payments, surgical charge capture is no longer just a documentation task—it’s a financial imperative.

A recent Becker’s Healthcare webinar featured Shlomo Matityaho, CEO of IDENTI Medical, and Lisa Miller, Chief Sales Officer and revenue cycle expert, to explore how IDENTI’s Snap&Go AI camera platform is transforming surgical charge capture and driving significant financial gains for hospitals.

AI Closes the Loop on Missed Charges

Manual workflows and barcode-based tools continue to leave gaps in documentation. Ms. Miller highlighted common issues such as missed charges for high-cost implants, miscoded items, reliance on “miscellaneous” billing, and delayed data entry after surgery. These inefficiencies directly impact reimbursement. For example, an orthopedic unit performing 20 surgeries a day could lose over $1.2 million annually from just four missed implant charges per day.

IDENTI’s Snap&Go leverages computer vision and AI to capture item-level details at the point of use. Nurses simply place an item under the Snap&Go camera, which automatically records lot number, expiration date, and manufacturer—no scanning, typing, or dropdowns required. Every item is validated and billed correctly, regardless of whether it is bill-only, consignment, or owned stock. According to Miller, this level of automation ensures 100% documentation of high-value implants without adding any burden to clinical staff. Hospitals gain the transparency needed to negotiate effectively with managed care payers, improve performance in bundled payment models, and truly understand case-level profitability.

Matityaho emphasized the simplicity of the process: the interaction between nurse and device is driven entirely by a green or red light. In three seconds, Snap&Go captures and confirms usage without disrupting workflow and stores the image as proof of use.

Real-Time Safety and Audit Readiness

Snap&Go provides a complete audit trail for every implant, reducing payment disputes and increasing billing accuracy. It flags expired or recalled items before use, updates the item master in real time, and tracks bill-only and consigned stock with precision. Miller noted that nearly 25% of OR staff have encountered issues with expired implants. Snap&Go eliminates that risk by embedding safety checks directly into the documentation process. Adoption is high because the system collects accurate, complete information automatically, eliminating the need to chase data after the case. Snap&Go integrates easily with leading EHR and ERP systems, including Epic, Meditech, Workday, and Infor. Implementation typically takes up to 7 days, including training the staff, with many hospitals seeing measurable financial results after the first 100 cases. Miller shared that some hospitals reported full ROI in just a few weeks. One health system, for example, recovered $1.8 million in revenue in a single service line by improving implant documentation and charge visibility.

With CMS’s new TEAMS bundled payment model set to begin in 2026, hospitals will be required to document implant usage with greater precision to optimize reimbursement. Snap&Go positions health systems to meet this challenge by automating UDI capture and aligning OR documentation with financial and clinical outcomes.

Designed for Nurses, Backed by Data

Snap&Go is designed for ease of use, requiring no learning curve. It captures untagged and unbarcoded items like screws and plates, digitizes handwritten or printed vendor count sheets, and recognizes off-catalog or one-time-use implants. This simplicity ensures high adoption among clinical staff while delivering financial and operational benefits.Hospitals using Snap&Go report a 75% to 85% increase in charge capture accuracy, a 15% to 30% reduction in charge entry time, and a 20% to 30% drop in carve-out denials. UDI and usage data completeness reach 99%. Miller summed it up: in a healthcare environment where every dollar counts, AI-powered charge capture in the OR is no longer optional—it’s essential.

As hospitals continue to digitize their operations, Snap&Go is setting a new standard for surgical revenue capture. By removing long-standing documentation barriers, it enables hospitals to reclaim lost revenue, improve payer positioning, and strengthen data integrity across the care continuum. Miller concluded that within the next few years, this technology will become the standard for surgical documentation on the business side of healthcare.

The post Snap & Charge: How AI Cameras in the OR Reclaim Lost Revenue appeared first on Becker’s Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis.

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As ambient AI continues to make inroads in healthcare, organizations are evaluating technologies and partners more rigorously. Integration is becoming a benchmark, and delivering a seamless clinician experience is now essential to proving what ambient AI can achieve.

“The hunger is real,” said Punit Soni, CEO and founder of Suki. “But we also have to be thoughtful because you might end up building something based on whatever is the need of the minute versus a very thoughtful AI interface that can redefine how things are done.”

Suki’s latest milestone exemplifies that vision. The company is the first to fully integrate ambient clinical documentation directly into MEDITECH’s Expanse EHR, enabling more than 20 enterprise health systems to access a streamlined workflow powered by Suki Assistant. Rather than requiring clinicians to copy and paste or retroactively update notes, the system auto-generates and synchronizes documentation into the correct fields in real time.

“If you are copying and pasting, you’re going to miss something,” Mr. Soni said. “We have basically put hooks into MEDITECH for every single diagnosis, observation or patient history so that all of them show up in the EHR, fully integrated and seamless.”

Democratizing AI access

Concerns over equity and access in healthcare continue to persist and while AI promises sweeping benefits, many worry it could deepen disparities between large, well-resourced systems and smaller or rural organizations.

Mr. Soni emphasized that democratizing access to AI is a core value at Suki. The MEDITECH partnership expands Suki’s reach into a broader range of health systems, particularly those serving smaller or rural communities — where MEDITECH has a strong footprint.

MEDITECH users like St. Mary’s Hospital in Hobart, Ind., welcomed Suki’s integration and experienced immediate results, such as reducing the time to note completion by 50%. Suki’s partnership with Citizens Memorial Hospital in Bolivar, Mo., was also built on its integration with MEDITECH. Dr. Lou Harris, MD, CMIO of Citizens Memorial Hospital, notes that Suki gives him the ability to be more accurate and improve patient care while reducing the cognitive load on his teams.

“The ability to be more specific and really capture what I’d otherwise leave on the table. It’s one step versus five steps,” Dr. Harris said. “At the end of the day, I can physically feel less fatigued. I was a skeptic but just give it a try, I’d be very surprised if it’s not helpful.”

Data from Citizens Memorial showed 80% adoption among clinicians and Net Promoter Scores in the 70s, clear signs that accessibility and usability go hand in hand.

“Adoption rates are important because adoption rates correlate to ROI,” Mr. Soni said. “You can only have a return on investment if people use the product. When you have a product that’s invested in full integration, then you have people in areas who actually get access to AI way faster than they got access to prior waves of technology.”

One reason for Suki’s success in driving adoption is its emphasis on flexibility. The product is platform-agnostic and works across devices — from mobile apps to Chrome extensions and hospital hardware. It also functions in diverse settings including inpatient, outpatient and telehealth environments. Support for 99 languages ensures that clinicians from a wide range of backgrounds can engage with the tool.

The path to ‘invisible’ healthcare tech

Beyond technical adaptability, Suki prioritizes feedback from clinicians to focus on refinement — requests for dictation capabilities alongside ambient documentation and for expanding support to include order entry and revenue cycle tasks.

To be truly ‘invisible’ however, Mr. Soni also stresses the importance of opening up development of platforms to health systems themselves. His hope is that organizations of all sizes eventually build their own versions of AI assistance to truly leverage input from their teams and create fully assistive, integrated systems.

Suki’s recent focus revolves around bringing ambient technology to nurses and home care staff. Here, Mr. Soni’s concentration turns to clinicians’ widely different workflows and the need to prioritize them in product design. The new standalone product Suki Assistant for Nursing reflects a broader shift in Suki’s approach: not just adding features, but creating use-case-specific solutions that truly fit.

“You cannot just put together nursing apps and clinical reasoning and RCM in some haphazard fashion,” Mr. Soni said. “The vision behind Suki is to make healthcare tech assistive and invisible so that clinicians can focus on the human side of their work, which is taking care of patients.”

Quiet progress, lasting impact

Mr. Soni sees Suki’s trajectory as part of a larger evolution. With ambient documentation and dictation now deeply integrated into multiple EHRs, including Epic, Oracle Health and Athenahealth, the focus turns to not just recording data but to make sense of it in real time to support clinicians in care delivery.

While conversations around AI often focus on scale or valuation, Mr. Soni prioritizes collaboration and building an assistive AI layer that is deeply embedded, available across every touchpoint of clinical care, and improves the experience for every stakeholder.

The long-term winners, he suggests, won’t be those who shout the loudest, but those who quietly, persistently and thoughtfully build products that work across real-world healthcare environments. That philosophy guides Suki’s team as they expand their reach and reimagine what AI can do.

“Category leadership means you have happy users, people who go home on time and patients whose data is actually clear, cohesive and democratized,” Mr. Soni said. “If we could do that, then it doesn’t matter whether we are a billion-dollar company or a hundred-billion-dollar company. What matters is you made a difference in healthcare and made it better.”
The post Ambient AI without the noise: Suki’s CEO on closing the gap for overlooked hospitals appeared first on Becker’s Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis.

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Franklin, Tenn.-based Williamson Health is considering a potential sale amid mounting financial and operational pressures challenging independent hospitals and health systems nationwide.

The system’s board of trustees is engaged in a strategic planning process to determine the best path forward, which includes evaluating the feasibility of remaining independent versus seeking a buyer. Although Williamson Health is currently “fiscally sound,” projections indicate a need for significant capital over the next five years to support community growth and infrastructure needs, according to a July 14 presentation to the Williamson County Board of Commissioners.

“No decision has been made. This is the beginning of a thoughtful, deliberate process,” Williamson Health CEO Phil Mazzuca said in a July 14 news release. “There are multiple variables that could allow us to remain independent… Our focus is not just on surviving the challenge ahead, but on building a stronger, more resilient future.”

The board has created a subcommittee to explore all options, including launching a formal request for proposal process. 

The strategic review comes as independent hospitals and health systems such as Williamson Health contend with rising staffing costs, low reimbursement rates and changing care delivery models. While the board favors maintaining independence, Chair Bo Butler said it has a fiduciary responsibility to consider all options to ensure long-term sustainability.

“One of the most rewarding aspects of this process would be gaining the ability to bring entirely new healthcare initiatives to the community that were previously beyond our financial reach,” Mr. Mazzuca said. “If new ownership is determined to be the best path forward, the anticipated proceeds will empower a newly formed independent foundation to invest in programs and services that could transform the health and well-being of our community in ways we never thought possible.”

A final decision is not expected until late fall at the earliest, and the review process could take up to three years.
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Austin, Texas-based St. David’s HealthCare has named Dawn Nichols, DNP, RN, vice president of women’s and children’s services. Ms. Nichols began the role in June, according to a news release shared with Becker’s.

Ms. Nichols is responsible for strategy, business development and operational coordination across women’s and children’s service lines, and will work with staff to support the expansion of services for St. David’s HeathCare and HCA Healthcare’s Central and West Texas division. 

She joins the team from Texas Health Resources, where she spent more than 20 years in leadership roles.
The post St. David’s HealthCare taps vice president of women’s and children’s services  appeared first on Becker’s Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis.

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New Jersey’s high court unanimously rejected arguments brought forth by more than a dozen hospitals that charity care is an unconstitutional taking of private property without just compensation, NJ.com reported July 16. 

State Supreme Court Justice Douglas Fasciale wrote in a 46-page decision that the “heavily regulated nature of the health care industry, the long-standing tradition of hospitals caring for indigent patients, and the existence of tax benefits specifically tied to such care all diminish expectations that hospitals might be free of charity care obligations,” according to the report. 

The court ruled that hospitals are free to challenge their charity compensation through administrative and legislative channels, according to the report. 

The lawsuit was filed by a coalition of New Jersey hospitals that serve a disproportionate share of low-income patients, including Englewood Hospital, Westwood-based Pascack Valley Medical Center and Passaic-based St. Mary’s General Hospital, according to the report. 

The hospitals argued that although they receive some taxpayer funding from the state to provide charity care, the subsidies fail to cover even the basic cost of care, the report said.  

Jim Robertson, an attorney representing the hospitals, said in a statement that they believe the New Jersey Supreme Court’s analysis is flawed and is “contrary to the trend of United States Supreme Court decisions in the last decade finding wrongful physical takings occurring in regulated industries and activities.” 

Mr. Robertson said the hospitals are considering whether to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. 
The post New Jersey hospitals lose charity care law challenge appeared first on Becker’s Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis.

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From the largest National Health Care Fraud Takedown operation in the Justice Department’s history to another suspect charged in a case involving a Chicago hospital, here are 10 healthcare billing fraud cases that Becker’s has reported on since June 30:

1. Urgent care center operator Bloom Care has agreed to pay $3 million to settle allegations that it submitted false claims to federal healthcare programs for medically unnecessary testing and inflated the extent of services performed.

2. A California man who owned two durable medical equipment companies pleaded guilty to his role in a $5.9 million Medicare fraud scheme. 

3. An Avon, Ohio-based physician pleaded guilty to submitting fraudulent orders for durable medical equipment as part of a telemedicine scheme that defrauded Medicare.

4. A federal judge ordered CVS Health subsidiary Omnicare to pay $948.8 million in damages and penalties for submitting fraudulent Medicare and Medicaid claims.

5. Mahmood Kahn, the owner of two allegedly fraudulent COVID-19 testing labs, pleaded not guilty to federal charges connected to what the Justice Department said is a scheme that funneled more than $290 million in federal funds for testing that never occurred.

6. A federal investigation of a suspected COVID-19 testing fraud-and-kickback scheme involving Chicago’s Loretto Hospital netted the indictment of the operator of Meridian Medical Staffing, which purported to contract with COVID-19 test collection sites in Illinois and Florida that collected specimens for PCR tests, including Loretto. 

7. Minneapolis-based Nuway Alliance will pay $18.5 million to settle allegations it submitted fraudulent Medicaid claims.

8. The Justice Department, through its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown investigation, charged 324 defendants in schemes involving more than $14.6 billion in intended losses to Medicare, Medicaid and other government programs.

9. The largest case from the investigation, dubbed Operation Gold Rush, involves the biggest alleged loss in any healthcare fraud case brought by the department. The $10.6 billion scheme involved 19 defendants — 12 of whom have been arrested, including four in Estonia.

10. A Michigan physician was sentenced to four years in prison for her role in a $6.3 million Medicare fraud scheme.
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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 July 17.

July 10-16

1. Andrew Bedi exited his role as CEO of The Medical Center at Russellville (Ky.) and was named COO of Doctors Hospital of Augusta (Ga.).

2. Jeff Comer, PsyD, stepped down from his role as CEO of Show Low, Ariz.-based Summit Healthcare for personal health reasons.

3. Steve Stark is stepping down from his role as CEO of Madera (Calif.) Community Hospital to return to Gridley, Calif., to be closer to family.

4. Sony Sidhu, DNP, RN, exited her role as CEO of Central Valley Specialty Hospital in Modesto, Calif., and was named CEO of Madera (Calif.) Community Hospital.

July 3-9

1. Mary Beckerle, PhD, plans to step down as CEO of Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah, effective Sept 1.

2. Liz Dunne, president and CEO of Vancouver, Wash.-based PeaceHealth, will retire at the end of the year after a decade with the organization.

3. Ketul Patel, CEO of Tacoma, Wash.-based Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, will exit the organization to become president and CEO of Marietta, Ga.-based Wellstar Health System in late October.

4. Jeff St. Clair, president and CEO of Springhill Medical Center in Mobile, Ala., will retire in August.

June 26-July 3

1. Dave Ressler, CEO of Aspen (Colo.) Valley Health, plans to retire in 2026.

2. Bryan Mills, president and CEO of Indianapolis-based Community Health Network, plans to retire at the end of 2025 after 16 years in the role.

3. Cliff Wilson will step down as CEO of Georgetown (Ky.) Community Hospital and president of Lifepoint Health’s Central Kentucky market, effective July 23.

4. Ella Goss, MSN, RN, plans to retire Aug. 1 as chief executive of Anchorage-based Providence Alaska.

5. Rick Allen retired as CEO of Warren (Pa.) General Hospital after more than a decade.

June 17-25

1. Tom Miller, the inaugural CEO of Louisville, Ky.-based UofL Health, retired June 25.

2. Rich Liekweg, CEO of St. Louis-based BJC Health System, is retiring Oct. 1.

3. John Herman, CEO of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, will exit his role to become president of Tufts Medical Center in Boston, effective in early September.

4. Joseph Impicciche, CEO of St. Louis-based Ascension, will retire at the end of 2025.

5. Kevin Gross is retiring as CEO of Tulsa, Okla.-based Hillcrest HealthCare System.

6. R.D. Williams retired as CEO of Hendry Regional Medical Center in Clewiston, Fla.

7. Troy Greer has resigned as president and CEO of Albuquerque, N.M.-based Lovelace Health System after two years in the role.

8. Cyndee McGuire, president and CEO of Monadnock Community Hospital in Peterborough, N.H., plans to retire in early 2026.

9. Lori Mazanec, CEO of Box Butte General Hospital in Alliance, Neb., has taken a medical leave of absence. 

10. Gary Herbst, CEO of Visalia, Calif.-based Kaweah Health, will retire June 30, 2026.

June 5-12

1. Mick Brant, CEO of Gothenburg (Neb.) Health, was placed on administrative leave.

2. Cam Patterson, MD, chancellor of Little Rock-based University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and CEO of UAMS Health, plans to step down due to medical and personal reasons.

3. Megan Ryan, president and CEO of Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, N.Y., was placed on administrative leave.

4. Kimberly Haverly exited her dual role as CEO/CFO at Carroll County Memorial Hospital in Carrollton, Ky., and was named administrator of Abilene, Kan.-based Memorial Health System.

5. Jason Paret plans to step down as CEO of Avalon, Calif.-based Catalina Island Health on Sept. 30.

6. Blair Kent, CEO of MemorialCare’s Long Beach (Calif.) Medical Center and Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital Long Beach, retired following a leave of absence.

May 30-June 3

1. Shaun Phillips, PharmD, resigned as CEO of Canyon Vista Medical Center in Sierra Vista, Ariz.

2. Megan Ryan, president and CEO of Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, N.Y., plans to resign July 20 following a state-approved restructuring of the board that oversees the safety-net hospital.

3. Lori Morgan, MD, president and CEO of Pasadena, Calif.-based Huntington Health, plans to step down before the end of 2025.

4. James Leonard, DO, left his role as CEO of Northwest Health-Porter in Valparaiso, Ind.

May 19-27

1. Joy Coulston stepped down as CEO of Powell (Wyo.) Valley Healthcare.

2. David Brash will exit his role as CEO of Logan (W.Va.) Regional Medical Center to become CEO of Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley, W.Va., effective July 7.

3. Dave Ramsey will retire as president and CEO of Charleston, W.Va.-based Vandalia Health in July 2026.

4. Roland Knox, CEO of Mount Graham Regional Medical Center in Safford, Ariz., is on an extended absence due to a health issue.

5. Linda Walker exited her role as CEO of Val Verde Regional Medical Center in Del Rio, Texas, and was named CEO of Llano (Texas) Regional Hospital.

May 14-15

1. John Whitlock resigned in April as CEO of MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham, Mass., part of Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare.

2. Edwin Simpser, MD, will retire at the end of June as president and CEO of Bayside, N.Y.-based St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children.

3. Owen Bailey, CEO of Mobile, Ala.-based USA Health, will retire Aug. 1.

4. Michael Dowling will transition from president and CEO of New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health to become CEO emeritus, effective Oct. 1.

April 24-May 7

1. Paige Dworak exited her role as president and CEO of CareWell Health Medical Center in East Orange, N.J., and was named system COO of Hudson Regional.

2. Tom Kleinhanzl will retire Oct. 31 as president and CEO of Frederick (Md.) Health.

3. Cindy Bergmeier exited her role as CEO of TriStar Horizon Medical Center in Dickson, Tenn., and was named CEO of TriStar Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tenn.

4. Dale Neely exited his role as CEO of HCA Healthcare’s Memorial Satilla Health in Waycross, Ga., and was named CEO of HCA Florida Capital Hospital in Tallahassee, Fla.

5. Michele Finney stepped down from her role as CEO of Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, Calif., and will continue to serve as group CEO of Desert Care Network, which comprises Desert Regional and two other hospitals.

6. Derek Drake, DNP, RN, exited his role as CEO of Orange County Global Medical Center in Santa Ana, Calif., and was named president of Mercy Hospital of Buffalo (N.Y.).

7. Chris Brown, RN, stepped down as CEO of Haywood Regional Medical Center in Clyde, N.C.

April 21-24

1. Victoria Woodrow will step down as CEO of Hamilton Memorial Hospital District in McLeansboro, Ill., effective July 24.

2. Brian Dieter will retire in early August as president and CEO of Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames, Iowa, a role he has held since 2008.

3. John Hennelly stepped down as CEO of Sonoma (Calif.) Valley Hospital on April 22 after four years in the role.

4. Wesley Burks, MD, CEO of Chapel Hill, N.C.-based UNC Health and dean of UNC School of Medicine, will step down from his roles effective Sept. 1.

5. Rob Anderson exited his role as CEO of Memorial Campus and Providence Children’s Hospital in El Paso, Texas, and was named CEO of Lakewood Ranch (Fla.) Medical Center.

6. Robert Brooks exited his role as interim CEO of St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia.

April 14-17

1. Robert Parker, who was appointed CEO of Columbus, Ga.-based St. Francis-Emory Healthcare in March, exited the role within the same month.

2. Brian Canfield stepped down as CEO of Quincy, Ill.-based Blessing Health System.

3. Hatch Smith Jr. resigned as CEO of Llano (Texas) Regional Hospital on April 15 for a new role.

4. Brett Kinman will resign as CEO of Magnolia (Ark.) Regional Medical Center, effective July 9.

5. Tony Esposito will step down as CEO of Upland, Pa.-based Crozer Health, effective April 18.

6. Gerald Cayer will retire as CEO of Lowville, N.Y.-based Lewis County Health System, effective Aug. 3, 2026.

7. Julie Freischlag, MD, will retire at the end of 2025 as CEO and chief academic officer of Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, chief academic officer of Charlotte, N.C.-based Advocate Health, and as executive vice president of health affairs at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem.

April 7-9

1. Kimberly Russo exited her role as CEO of George Washington University Hospital and group vice president for the D.C. Region of King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services and was appointed CEO of Peoria, Ill.-based OSF HealthCare’s central region, effective April 28.

2. Mitch Leckelt will retire June 1 after more than 11 years as CEO of UP Health System-Bell in Ishpeming, Mich.

3. Timothy Dentry, president and CEO of Brewer, Maine-based Northern Light Health, plans to retire in 2025.

4. Richard Allen will retire June 30 as CEO of Erie, Pa.-based Warren General Hospital.

5. Charles Briscoe submitted his resignation as president and CEO of Warner Robins, Ga.-based Houston Healthcare.

March 27-April 2

1. Alec Grabowski, the network CEO of a three-hospital system in North Carolina, exited the role and was named president of OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, Ill., effective April 1.

2. James Longabaugh, DO, will step down in midsummer as CEO of Sabetha (Kan.) Community Hospital.

3. Drake Lamen, MD, will retire in mid-April after 18 years as president and CEO of UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital in Norwich, N.Y.

4. Marissa Kiefer, senior vice president and CEO of Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, will exit her role to become president of UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s and UH MacDonald Women’s hospitals, both in Cleveland, effective June 1.

March 21-27

1. Jennifer DeCubellis will step down May 10 as CEO of Minneapolis-based Hennepin Healthcare System.

2. Reba Celsor, RN, exited her role as CEO of Spring View Hospital in Lebanon, Ky., and was named CEO of Murray-Calloway County Hospital in Murray, Ky.

3. Stephen DelRossi resigned as CEO of Bishop, Calif.-based Northern Inyo Healthcare District.

4. Russ Johnson plans to retire in August after serving as president and CEO of Lawrence, Kan.-based LMH Health since 2016.

5. Darlene Stromstad, president and CEO of Utica, N.Y.-based Mohawk Valley Health System, plans to retire in late 2025.

6. Ed Curtis, CEO of Springfield, Ill.-based Memorial Health, plans to retire March 31.

March 13-20

1. Aundrea Lewis, RN, resigned as CEO of UofL Health-Peace Hospital, a behavioral health hospital in Louisville, Ky., effective April 18.

2. Mary Jo Cagle, MD, will step down as president and CEO of Greensboro, N.C.-based Cone Health because of a serious family health matter.

3. Jim Heckert, CEO of Christus Southern New Mexico in Alamogordo, will retire March 31.

4. Dave Henry will retire April 1 as CEO of Havre-based Northern Montana Health Care.

5. Neil Meltzer plans to retire as president and CEO of Baltimore-based LifeBridge Health.
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The World Health Organization, alongside the International Telecommunication Union and the World Intellectual Property Organization, has released a technical report warning of risks associated with applying artificial intelligence to traditional medicine without safeguards. 

The report was presented at the ITU’s 2025 AI for Good Global Summit and outlined how AI is being used in traditional, complementary and integrative medicine, with concerns raised about data ownership and lack of legal protections, according to a July 11 news release from WHO. 

:AI must not become a new frontier for exploitation,” said Yukiko Nakatani, PhD, WHO assistant director-general for health systems. “We must ensure that Indigenous Peoples and local communities are not only protected but are active partners in shaping the future of AI in traditional medicine.”

The report also recommends national policies to regulate AI in traditional medicine, better data standards, training for practitioners and community-led approaches to digital knowledge sharing. 
The post WHO advises caution when using AI in traditional medicine: Report appeared first on Becker’s Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis.

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Rural healthcare facilities across the U.S. are struggling to survive. Much of the funding they relied on for years is disappearing without a clear path forward, and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act threatens to further reduce directed payments for Medicaid beneficiaries.

As margins tighten, rural healthcare leaders are searching for innovative solutions and partnerships. Tom Vasko saw that need three years ago when he became CEO of 25-bed, Shattuck, Okla.-based Newman Memorial Hospital, and dove right in.

“I knew in order to rebirth the 105-year-old legend of Oklahoma, we needed to take a for-profit approach with a nonprofit mindset,” he told Becker’s. “This novel approach would position the organization for resistance, strain and ward off closure. Given the circumstances, we will become more aggressive with a sense of urgency, accuracy and competitiveness. Newman will continue to be progressive. We must continue to gain top line revenue creating the opportunity for higher levels of cash flow to remain liquid.”

If rural hospitals can remain profitable, they will be able to invest in service line growth and updated infrastructure. Mr. Vasko aims to invest every dollar of positive cash flow that comes in right away to make upgrades instead of waiting for the year’s end.

“We have to reinvest and buy clinics, buy real estate, and then there’s a ramp up period. That’s a big challenge right now with OB and labor and delivery,” he said. “It’s not about just turning on the lights; it’s a lot more complex than that. You typically ramp up and it’s a very intimate relationship between the patients and providers. There has to be some dollars behind that in order to compensate for a loss temporarily until you can start sharing a profit when your volumes get to where they need to be and reimbursement kicks in.”

Mr. Vasko sees the hospital’s partnership with boutique data analytics and AI firm as critical to success, and will focus on expanding its primary care footprint via partnerships and acquisitions. Those primary care physicians will help identify patients with advanced disease states who need specialty care, which Newman can offer.

“You have to be really attuned to your finances as well as really rely on your data and listen to your team to make sure that your leadership team is the right people,” he said. “Truly listen to their ideas and apply them, and give them autonomy to implement those ideas.”

One early success story has been Newman’s orthopedics practice. The practice takes a concierge approach to medicine, which reversed the outmigration of surgical patients. Now, the hospital draws patients from Oklahoma City – two-and-a-half hours away – to receive orthopedic surgery.

“This reversal approach has contributed to community benefit and driven local economic impact for our community business,” said Mr. Vasko. “In late 2025 and throughout 2026, Newman will advance its orthopedics practice partnering with nationally recognized surgeon Dr. Manish Patel from Virginia. Pioneers within orthopedics will draw national patronization to the small rural hospital.”

In the last four months, Newman has created a model of partnership and forged deep provider relationships to gain a strong referral base and ancillary revenue.

“We’ve added the opportunity to gain an uptick of 24,000 patients visits annually,” said Mr. Vasko. “We’ve launched two additional primary care clinics and a specialty clinic in continuous countries to capture the patient base and legitimize our presence and geographic footprint.”

The hospital is also investing in its brand and creating an omnichannel advertising strategy to attract more patients and finding new ways to improve the patient experience.

“We can’t just sit still in between our four walls and keep a chair warm,” he said during an interview with Becker’s Healthcare podcast. “We have to be transformational CEOs, and that’s what I’ve coined myself. I’m not a hospital CEO. I’m a transformational CEO that has to bring and drive change with innovation and novel ideas and create high functioning teams that feel welcome to bring ideas to the table to drive the organization forward.”

Newman faces big challenges over the next few years, with 18% of patients having Medicaid and 60% having Medicare. The hospital, which serves a county that has a 15.4% poverty rate, stands to lose money on both. Statewide, 97 hospitals in Oklahoma have negative operating margins and many are wringing their hands. Not Mr. Vasko.

“Simply sitting flat footed, remaining between four walls will result in certain death for any rural facility,” said Mr. Vasko. “Over the last three years, I’ve applied more private equity and for-profit tactics with respect to liquidity and growth than ever seen in a nonprofit environment. I’m grateful these strategies are prevalent in past experiences. It’s been the defining factor in our ability to exist.”
The post Rural hospital CEO thrives with for-profit approach, nonprofit mindset appeared first on Becker’s Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis.

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Pullman (Wash.) Regional Hospital CFO Steve Febus has shared plans to retire in January 2026 after 38 years with the hospital.

During his tenure at Pullman Regional, Mr. Febus served as controller, director of revenue cycle and fiscal, and then CFO, according to a July 16 news release shared with Becker’s. 

Mr. Febus witnessed Pullman’s transformation from a facility with a small emergency department and no doctors to a regional hospital supporting more than 50 physicians and 16 clinics. He helped lead the hospital through the development of capital projects and service expansions, while aiding its transition to a new facility, the release said.

Pullman Regional is conducting a national search for a new CFO and seeks to fill the role in late 2025.
The post Pullman Regional’s CFO to retire appeared first on Becker’s Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis.

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