Editor's Note Hospital mergers and acquisitions saw a slight increase in Q2 2025, but broader shifts in healthcare affiliations and delivery models continue to gather momentum, according to a July 10 Kaufman Hall analysis of M&A activity for the second quarter of 2025. The report recorded eight hospital and health…
Editor's Note US hospitals and health systems are facing growing financial pressure as inflation drives costs faster than reimbursement can keep up, according to a July 10 article in Health Affairs. Although growing steadily, healthcare spending has been largely stable when measured as a percentage of gross domestic product…
Editor's Note States that grant full practice authority to advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) rank significantly higher in health system performance than those that impose physician supervision requirements, according to a July 3 report from the University of Missouri. The article focuses on a study led by researchers at the…
The ongoing turbulence in global trade policy, particularly the re-escalation of tariffs on medical supplies from China and other countries, is weighing heavily on US healthcare operations. Sweeping US trade policy shifts this year are sparking great concern, but while 2025 has seen unprecedented tariff escalations and supply chain volatility,…
Editor's Note Bad debt—payments hospitals expected to collect but ultimately had to write off—is increasing across hospitals as patients struggle to pay their share of healthcare costs and insurers raise the rate of claim denials, Modern Healthcare reported June 19. Citing a Kaufman Hall analysis of data from about 700…
Editor's Note Recent reporting from Axios reveals hospitals and health insurers are reporting new concerns about rising tariffs and trade policy uncertainty, with the former delaying purchasing decisions and the latter planning premium increases as a result. In the first article, published June 18, the outlet reports that health system…
Editor's Note The formerly titled OR Business Management Conference has rebranded as the OR Business Management Summit, reflecting a strategic shift toward more tailored, immersive support for perioperative business leaders, an OR Manager June 10 press release reports. The newly renamed Summit emphasizes curated content, targeted networking, and facility-specific learning…
Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have launched a public Request for Information (RFI) to identify and eliminate outdated healthcare regulations, according to a May 13 press release from the FDA. The move supports a broader federal deregulatory…
Editor's Note Nonprofit hospitals, which are legally required to provide free or discounted care to qualifying patients, attempt to collect hundreds of millions of dollars from low-income patients annually while receiving significant tax breaks meant to ensure affordable care, according to a May 12 article from CBS News. As…
Editor's Note Short-staffed hospital wards face higher patient mortality, readmissions, and lengthier stays—especially when they rely on temporary staff instead of permanent registered nurses, according to research published in BMJ Quality & Safety. As detailed in a summary from Medscape News UK, the large-scale, longitudinal observational study was led by…