Editor's Note The US hospital industry continues to face significant financial and structural challenges despite signs of stabilization in 2024, according to a January 9 report from Kaufman Hall. Despite improved operating margins and stable credit outlooks from major rating agencies, a surge in transactions involving financially distressed organizations and…

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Editor's Note Patients fared worse in the wake of private equity acquisitions of US hospitals, according to research published January 9 in JAMA Network.  Over a decade-long analysis of 73 acquired hospitals and 293 matched controls, declines became more pronounced in the years following acquisition, researchers wrote. Key findings include:…

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Editor's Note Immigration and trade policies proposed by President-elect Donald Trump could exacerbate challenges with healthcare staff and medical supply chains, according to recent reporting from Modern Healthcare and The Hill. As detailed by Modern Healthcare, stricter immigration policies could impede efforts to recruit skilled international workers, exacerbating gaps in…

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What happens when a surgeon uses the monopolar instrument set on 30-W coagulation mode to create an upper midline incision in a patient with a pacemaker? Pacemaker function is interrupted, causing a heart block that results in hemodynamic instability—or at least, this is what could happen without taking the necessary…

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Editor's Note In a move that could hinder provider-led joint ventures and increase regulatory uncertainty, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Justice Department have withdrawn antitrust guidance issued in 2000. Modern Healthcare reported the news on December 16. Passed in a 3-2 vote, the decision eliminates previously relied-upon safe…

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Editor's Note The credit outlook for the nonprofit hospital sector improved from “deteriorating” to “neutral” in Fitch Ratings’ 2025 report, the first revision in more than 2 years. Healthcare Dive reported the news December 11.  According to the outlet, Fitch attributes the shift to “steady improvement” in hospital operating margins,…

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Editor's Note Nearly half of nurses and physicians surveyed for a KLAS Arch Collaborative report expressed a likelihood leaving their current organization within two years, with 21% of nurses and 13% of physicians actually departing. According to a December 6 report in HIT Consultant, this trend trend carries substantial financial…

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Editor's Note Data show nearly half of rural hospitals categorized as high-risk financially improved their stability after mergers, acquisitions, or affiliations (M&A) with larger health systems, Fierce Healthcare reported December 2. Conducted by Dobson DaVanzo & Associates and commissioned by the Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare, the analysis found that 110…

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Editor's Note A Republican-led House subcommittee investigating the COVID-19 pandemic released a 520-page final report summarizing its two-year inquiry, outlining recommendations for future pandemic preparedness and critiquing both US and global responses to the crisis. CNN reported the news December 2. The report concludes that COVID-19 most likely emerged from…

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Editor's Note Hospitals’ financial outlook is stable, although growth is slowing and certain costs are projected to increase, particularly for cybersecurity, according to two recent Becker’s reports on data from Moody’s Investor Services. The first, published November 14 in Becker’s Hospital CFO Report, notes that “hospitals are facing a stable…

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