For hospital staff in Charleston, S.C., contenting with flood waters from multiple hurricanes and tropical storms, as well as rising oceans, is all in a day's work, The Washington Post reported Aug. 8.

UK King's Daughters Medical Center in Ashland, Ky., has been forced to delay and cancel some surgical procedures over the past several months.

The effects of the demographic shift in the U.S. are being felt acutely in healthcare, where the rising number of older adults is increasing demand for both post-acute care (PAC) and long-term services. Health systems are struggling to meet this growing demand due to labor shortages, rising labor costs and evolving reimbursement models.

In 2023, a record number of more than 31 million people received care at health centers funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration.

Health systems across several southeastern states are closing clinics and rescheduling elective procedures as Tropical Storm Debby is expected to bring prolonged downpours and flooding through Aug. 9. 

Home visit companies pushed nurses to run screening tests and add diagnoses during patient visits, which added up to about $15 billion in extra pay from Medicare Advantage between 2019 to 2021, The Wall Street Journal reported Aug. 4.

The future of healthcare is in streamlining the care process to reduce the number of patients physicians see and improve informatics — but no one is ready to invest in these changes, two leaders told Becker's.

Like many hospitals across the country, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., often operates at capacity. But working closely with area market hospitals has been key to improving patient flow and mitigating boarding, according to the hospital's chief medical officer. 

A ransomware attack on OneBlood, a nonprofit blood center, is prompting some systems to activate critical blood shortage protocols and causing at least one organization to postpone elective inpatient surgeries, the Miami Herald reported July 31.

More hospitals are launching hybrid emergency departments and urgent care facilities to attract patients, The Washington Post reported Aug. 1.

OhioHealth Grant Medical Center in Columbus is on track to save $6.6 million and more than 16,800 excess patient days after implementing new inpatient technology.

Forty-nine percent of emergency department visits occurred outside of standard business hours, according to a Coalition to Strengthen America's Healthcare report published July 29.

Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn., is expanding its pediatric transplant services with the addition of pancreas and lung transplantation. 

Cash benefits reduced emergency department visits, suggesting policies to alleviate poverty could improve health, a recent study found.

Cleveland-based MetroHealth is integrating midwifery into its women's healthcare services to support maternal care outcomes and reduce disparities, leaders said July 22. 

Bethlehem, Pa.-based St. Luke's University Health Network has created a "mini-ER on wheels" that adds physicians to the EMS response team, Lehigh Valley News reported July 22.

Six months after GSK stopped making a popular inhaler, pediatric patients with asthma still struggle to find alternative medications while urgent cares and hospitals contend with a rise in asthma-related pediatric visits, NPR reported July 22.

San Jose, Calif.-based Regional Medical Center's trauma center will modify heart attack and stroke programs and remain open after pushback from local stakeholders.

Aspirus Medford (Wis.) Hospital and Clinics will transition maternal care services to another location starting Oct. 1 amid a shrinking OB-GYN pipeline.

University Medical Center in Las Vegas is Nevada's only level 1 trauma center and the state's largest public hospital. With advanced capabilities, it is accustomed to preparing for emergencies and special circumstances, including potential visits from a U.S. president needing medical care.