A report from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform reveals a significant decline in labor and delivery services at rural hospitals, with 100 closures since 2020, leading to a maternal health access crisis in these communities. Only 42% of rural hospitals currently provide these critical services, and financial struggles have plagued over 130 hospitals that continue to operate maternity care, compelling some to consider discontinuing these services. Increased travel times for rural residents seeking maternity care, often between 30 to 50 minutes, exacerbate the situation. The report calls for urgent action from federal and state officials and private employers to improve health insurance support for maternity care, warning that without intervention, maternal and infant health risks will rise in rural areas.

Rural Hospitals Face Crisis as Labor and Delivery Services Plummet Becker's Hospital Review

Health systems in the U.S. are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance operational efficiencies and patient care, according to insights gathered by Becker’s Hospital Review. Notable initiatives include Ballad Health's DAX Copilot, which streamlines documentation, and Lee Health's ambient dictation system, both of which have improved physician satisfaction and patient engagement. Additionally, UC Davis Health's AI model effectively identifies patients at risk of hospitalization, leading to reduced rates of hospitalization and cost savings. Other systems like City of Hope and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta have also reported successful AI applications in areas such as oncology decision-making.

AI Revolutionizes U.S. Healthcare: Boosting Efficiency and Patient Care Becker's Hospital Review

On April 15, the White House issued an executive order aimed at lowering prescription drug costs, directing federal agencies to take several actions, including providing discounted insulin and injectable epinephrine at federally funded health centers and assessing Medicare payment structures to discourage shifting drug administration from physician offices to hospital outpatient departments. The order also calls for a cost survey of covered outpatient drugs and the creation of a new payment model for high-cost medications. The Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for implementing these measures within specified deadlines, as part of a larger effort to alleviate the financial burden of prescription drugs on patients and healthcare providers. While Lisa Kidder Hrobsky from the American Hospital Association supported the initiatives, she voiced concerns regarding the policies' impact on hospitals, especially those providing outpatient care.

White House Unveils Executive Order to Slash Prescription Drug Costs AHA

Community Dental Care, Minnesota's largest nonprofit dental practice for Medicaid patients, has informed nearly 135,000 individuals about a data breach that occurred in December 2024, involving unauthorized access to a network server. The breach potentially exposed personal and health information but was detected on December 20 and reported to federal regulators on March 28. Although the investigation pinpointed the unauthorized access around December 6, there is currently no evidence of misuse of the compromised data. The organization is offering affected individuals credit and identity monitoring services while facing potential class action lawsuits from several law firms. This incident underscores the ongoing vulnerabilities within the healthcare sector, particularly among dental practices.

Massive Data Breach at Minnesota Dental Practice Affects 135,000 Patients BankInfoSecurity

A report from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform reveals a significant decline in labor and delivery services at rural hospitals, with 100 closures since 2020, leading to a maternal health access crisis in these communities. Only 42% of rural hospitals currently provide these critical services, and financial struggles have plagued over 130 hospitals that continue to operate maternity care, compelling some to consider discontinuing these services. Increased travel times for rural residents seeking maternity care, often between 30 to 50 minutes, exacerbate the situation. The report calls for urgent action from federal and state officials and private employers to improve health insurance support for maternity care, warning that without intervention, maternal and infant health risks will rise in rural areas.

Rural Hospitals Face Crisis as Labor and Delivery Services Plummet Becker's Hospital Review

Health systems in the U.S. are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance operational efficiencies and patient care, according to insights gathered by Becker’s Hospital Review. Notable initiatives include Ballad Health's DAX Copilot, which streamlines documentation, and Lee Health's ambient dictation system, both of which have improved physician satisfaction and patient engagement. Additionally, UC Davis Health's AI model effectively identifies patients at risk of hospitalization, leading to reduced rates of hospitalization and cost savings. Other systems like City of Hope and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta have also reported successful AI applications in areas such as oncology decision-making.

AI Revolutionizes U.S. Healthcare: Boosting Efficiency and Patient Care Becker's Hospital Review

On April 15, the White House issued an executive order aimed at lowering prescription drug costs, directing federal agencies to take several actions, including providing discounted insulin and injectable epinephrine at federally funded health centers and assessing Medicare payment structures to discourage shifting drug administration from physician offices to hospital outpatient departments. The order also calls for a cost survey of covered outpatient drugs and the creation of a new payment model for high-cost medications. The Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for implementing these measures within specified deadlines, as part of a larger effort to alleviate the financial burden of prescription drugs on patients and healthcare providers. While Lisa Kidder Hrobsky from the American Hospital Association supported the initiatives, she voiced concerns regarding the policies' impact on hospitals, especially those providing outpatient care.

White House Unveils Executive Order to Slash Prescription Drug Costs AHA

Community Dental Care, Minnesota's largest nonprofit dental practice for Medicaid patients, has informed nearly 135,000 individuals about a data breach that occurred in December 2024, involving unauthorized access to a network server. The breach potentially exposed personal and health information but was detected on December 20 and reported to federal regulators on March 28. Although the investigation pinpointed the unauthorized access around December 6, there is currently no evidence of misuse of the compromised data. The organization is offering affected individuals credit and identity monitoring services while facing potential class action lawsuits from several law firms. This incident underscores the ongoing vulnerabilities within the healthcare sector, particularly among dental practices.

Massive Data Breach at Minnesota Dental Practice Affects 135,000 Patients BankInfoSecurity