Editor's Note Nearly two-thirds of healthcare organizations expect increased revenue from value-based care (VBC) arrangements in 2024, signaling growing confidence in the model despite concerns over financial risk and infrastructure gaps, according to a May 19 report in Healthcare Finance. The findings are based on a nationwide survey of 168…

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The kind of Navy-taught leadership Brian Dawson, MSN, RN-BC, CNOR, CSSM, taps into is straightforward. “If you’re going to lead 3,500 people to move to the left when you need them to, you better know how to get them to see your goals as their goals,” he says during a…

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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…

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Editor's Note Terry A. Bohlke, MSHA, CPA, CMA, CASC, emphasized that Rocky Mountain High Surgery Center is a pseudonym “to protect the innocent,” but the numbers he presented at the 2025 Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) Conference & Expo in Denver last week were real enough. Based on actual scenarios…

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Editor's Note Chasing size through mega-mergers no longer guarantees sustainability for health systems, according to an April 15 article in HealthLeaders. Many of the nation’s largest systems are reporting significant losses, while emerging evidence links consolidation to stagnant or declining care quality and worsening workforce challenges. The article highlights financial…

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Editor's Note HST Pathways’ most recent industry report, discussed on the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast by HST CEO David Thawley and Bill Prentice, CEO of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA), offers insights into cardiology and orthopedic procedures done in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) in 2024, Ambulatory Surgery Center News…

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Editor's Note A retrospective review of 14 hospitals over 7 years found that robotic cholecystectomy costs were, on average, 2.5 times higher than laparoscopic cholecystectomy ($1,447 vs. $669 per case). Findings were published on March 19 in the journal Surgery. Disposable instrument choices also impact costs. Despite the rising adoption…

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Editor's Note In addition to the uptick in acquiring outpatient facilities since 2023, UnitedHealth Group quietly acquired or created more than 250 subsidiaries last year, expanding its already vast network of services comprising a major health insurer, physician practices, a pharmacy benefit manager, and various other healthcare ventures, STAT March…

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Editor's Note Operating margins for health systems declined across the US in early 2025 even as hospitals reported steady revenue growth, according to a February 27 report from Strata Decision Technology. The median operating margin for U.S. health systems dropped to 1.0% in January, down from 2.1% in December, marking…

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Editor's Note Survey results reveal healthcare finance leaders expect limited financial gains in 2025 and are shifting their focus to operational improvements and cost management rather than margin growth. DotMed reported the news February 24. The article is based on a new report on a survey of over 100 healthcare…

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