Addressing the confusion and anxiety patients experience upon hospital admission is crucial for improving their inpatient experience. Dr. Craig Joseph advocates for an onboarding process similar to those in hotels or theme parks, which would provide patients with essential orientations, set expectations, and clarify the roles of their care team. Additionally, Dr. Angela Ingraham emphasizes that effective communication regarding discharge criteria can alleviate patient concerns by shifting discussions from vague timelines to specific milestones required for release. Despite potential operational pushback due to time constraints and varying patient conditions, Dr. Joseph argues that hospitals can integrate these practices without significantly impacting existing workflows.

Transforming Hospital Admissions: A Call for Patient Orientation and Clarity Nordic Global

Over the past five years, healthcare's approach to telehealth has evolved from a pandemic-driven necessity to a foundational component of hybrid care models. According to experts - including Joseph Kvedar, MD - telehealth has become an accepted mode of care, integrating virtual visits, remote patient monitoring, and AI-driven diagnostics. While initial momentum has leveled off, advancements like hospital-at-home programs and command center-driven care models have gained traction, enabling continuous patient monitoring. Policy changes and technological innovations continue to shape the future of connected care, solidifying telehealth's role in the healthcare landscape.

Telehealth Revolution: AI and Wearables Transform Patient Care Forever HealthTech Magazine

Global tariffs are forcing IT leaders across various sectors to reevaluate their capital expenditures and project timelines due to increased technology costs and supply chain disruptions. As a result, CIOs are scaling back or postponing projects to manage tighter budgets, with IT spending, especially on hardware and IT services, expected to decline in a weakening economy. CIOs are focusing on essential projects and cost analysis, with some, like Jay Leal of Vantage Bank, adjusting hardware procurement strategies to curb costs, while others are shifting to more cost-effective cloud solutions. In healthcare, CIOs like Jordan Ruch of AtlantiCare and Michael Mainiero from Catholic Health are stressing the need for agile systems to ensure operational efficiency amidst rising costs and supply chain challenges affecting patient care delivery.

CIOs Navigate Global Tariffs, Adjusting Budgets and Project Timelines CIO

Arkansas Methodist Medical Center (AMMC) in Paragould and Baptist Memorial Health Care in Memphis have entered a non-binding letter of intent to merge, with the goal of improving healthcare services in the region. Baptist Memorial's CEO, Jason Little, emphasized the alignment of values between the organizations, while AMMC's CEO, Brad Bloemer, noted that the merger would enable increased access to specialists and updated facilities. Both institutions are in the preliminary stages of discussions, aiming to finalize the agreement by early 2026, with AMMC seeking to build on its 75-year history of healthcare delivery.

Arkansas Methodist and Baptist Memorial Plan Strategic Healthcare Merger PR Newswire