Hospitals
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Senators press Steward lenders for solutions days ahead of payment deadline
Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey sent letters last week to Steward’s top lenders, asking for modified loan terms to help keep hospitals open.
By Susanna Vogel • April 23, 2024 -
CHS to sell Tennessee hospital for $160M
CEO Tim Hingtgen told investors in February that divestitures could yield more than $1 billion for the hospital operator.
By Susanna Vogel • April 22, 2024 -
Trendline
Social determinants of health
The focus on social determinants of health has only increased as the COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the United States.
By Healthcare Dive staff -
Novant, CHS fire back after FTC sues to block North Carolina hospital sale
The health systems resisted regulators’ allegations that the deal would stifle competition in the Charlotte area.
By Emily Olsen • April 19, 2024 -
Providers, drugmakers at odds over new 340B dispute resolution process
PhRMA said the new rule “panders to 340B hospitals,” while the American Hospital Association and 340B Health said the rule would preserve the drug discount program’s integrity.
By Rebecca Pifer • April 19, 2024 -
Over 20% of healthcare bankruptcies last year were linked to private equity: report
Another wave of private equity-backed bankruptcies is expected this year, according to the Private Equity Stakeholder Project.
By Susanna Vogel • April 17, 2024 -
Deep Dive // Tracking Steward's decline
Steward bankruptcy likely as massive debt remains, with few options left
Steward Health Care’s forbearance period ends in less than 15 days. Analysts say this time, creditors are unlikely to extend the embattled company another lifeline.
By Susanna Vogel • April 16, 2024 -
Cybersecurity takes center stage at AHA annual meeting
In the wake of the Change Healthcare attack, experts advised hospital leaders to increase their cyber defenses.
By Susanna Vogel • April 16, 2024 -
Medical Properties Trust selling spree continues, Utah deal closes
The deal is expected to generate approximately $1.1 billion in in cash for the liquidity-strapped hospital landlord.
By Susanna Vogel • April 15, 2024 -
Opinion
No appointments available: America’s escalating primary care shortage
Chronic disinvestment and inadequate training have created a shortage of primary care workers, according to leaders at the Milbank Memorial Fund, National Association of Community Health Centers and others.
By Christopher Koller, Kyu Rhee and R. Shawn Martin • April 15, 2024 -
Tracking Steward's decline
Steward buy could add 3,000 doctors to Optum’s physician network, regulator says
There’s a long way to go before the highly anticipated deal can close, as parties have yet to file the paperwork required to kick off Massachusetts' antitrust review process, a regulator said yesterday.
By Susanna Vogel • April 11, 2024 -
CMS proposes 2.6% payment increase for inpatient hospitals next year
Regulators said payments to hospitals would increase $3.2 billion in 2025 under the proposed rule. However, the American Hospital Association called the hike “woefully inadequate.”
By Rebecca Pifer • April 11, 2024 -
Medical Properties Trust offloads 5 hospitals to Prime Healthcare
One of the nation’s largest hospital landlords will pay down its debt load with the proceeds, executives said.
By Susanna Vogel • April 11, 2024 -
Banner Health names new CEO
Amy Perry, the current president, will take the reins from longtime chief executive Peter Fine beginning June 30.
By Susanna Vogel • April 10, 2024 -
North Carolina county seeks damages in HCA Mission lawsuit
Buncombe County is seeking to join a lawsuit from the state alleging HCA intentionally understaffed Mission’s emergency department, increased wait times and wasted taxpayer dollars.
By Susanna Vogel • April 9, 2024 -
Marshfield Clinic to lay off furloughed workers
The Wisconsin-based health system furloughed about 3% of its employees earlier this year, and most are impacted by these job cuts.
By Emily Olsen • April 5, 2024 -
Senate ramps up scrutiny of private equity ‘greed’ in healthcare
As private equity firms buy up hospitals and staffing agencies, lawmakers say they're increasingly concerned that patient care could suffer.
By Susanna Vogel • April 5, 2024 -
Deep Dive // Change Healthcare cyberattack
Change cyberattack serves as wake-up call for healthcare cybersecurity
The outage shows why health systems need to plan for inevitable cyberattacks, evaluating risks and putting operational backups in place, experts say.
By Emily Olsen • April 4, 2024 -
Blue Shield of California and Providence at stalemate over contract negotiations
It's the latest negotiation to spill out of the boardroom and into the public eye as tensions between providers and payers ramp up.
By Susanna Vogel • April 3, 2024 -
Intermountain-owned Saltzer shutters operations, sells clinics
The financially strapped physician group finalized a midnight deal to sell some services to Trinity Health-owned Saint Alphonsus Health System and Intermountain Medical Imaging of Idaho.
By Susanna Vogel • April 3, 2024 -
Kaiser closes Geisinger acquisition, launching Risant Health
The deal closed roughly a year after it was first announced. Geisinger is the first health system to join Risant, but it’s far from the last — the hospital operator wants to acquire at least four additional nonprofits.
By Rebecca Pifer • April 3, 2024 -
Change Healthcare cyberattack
Change cyberattack likely ‘minor setback’ for nonprofit hospitals: Fitch
The ratings agency doesn’t anticipate a credit impact to nonprofits as long as providers can return to normal operations soon and maintain a large enough cash cushion during the outage.
By Emily Olsen • April 2, 2024 -
UHS could face hit from $535M judgment against subsidiary
Damages could shrink on appeal and Universal Health Services has malpractice insurance to cover some costs, but the for-profit’s exposure from the case could still amount to hundreds of millions of dollars.
By Susanna Vogel • April 2, 2024 -
UCLA Health acquires California hospital from HCA
The purchase of the 260-bed facility will help address inpatient capacity needs, UCLA said.
By Emily Olsen • April 1, 2024 -
Novant’s proposed purchase of CHS hospitals ‘irreversibly’ harms competition, FTC says
Antitrust regulators filed this week to block the deal, a move akin to trying to stop a “ball that’s already rolling downhill," one expert said.
By Susanna Vogel • March 29, 2024 -
Ascension to divest three hospitals in northern Michigan
The nonprofit giant is working to improve its financials and focus on expanded ambulatory and telehealth offerings.
By Emily Olsen • March 27, 2024