Rochester, N.Y.-based UR Medicine has selected DexCare to power its virtual visits and telehealth program.

Colorado House Bill 23-1215, legislation that originally proposed a ban on hospital facility fees for care provided outside a hospital, is being rolled back to just ban facility fees for telehealth services, preventive services and primary care, The Denver Post reported March 22.

Akron, Ohio, has been working to reduce the load on its emergency services and ambulance fleet through a telehealth pilot program where patients can receive virtual care from clinicians at Cleveland Clinic Akron General, the Akron Beacon Journal reported March 22.

Sovah Health, part of Brentwood, Tenn.-based Lifepoint Health, said the emergency room renovations at its Danville, Va., site are now budgeted at more than $20 million compared with an original estimate of $12 million, according to a March 22 Danville Register & Bee report.

An FDA advisory panel voted for and against the clinical benefit of tofersen — Biogen's investigational drug for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which failed to pass its primary endpoint in a late-stage trial — on March 22. 

From launching open source tools for digital health app builders to creating a new search function that identifies low-cost care options, Google is continuing its push into the healthcare industry. Here are three recent healthcare moves from the company as reported by Becker's since March 14:

Ninety-percent of provider leaders, who are responsible for implementing and purchasing technology at their healthcare organizations, said they lost revenue due to inefficient data usage, a March 22 survey from healthcare data company Intelligent Medical Objects found.  

UNC Health Rockingham in Eden, N.C., has named Thresa Hardy, DNP, MSN, as chief nursing officer and chief operating officer. She joined the 108-bed community hospital in September 2020 as accreditation manager. 

Helen DeVos Children's Hospital will provide pediatric hospitalists and neonatal nurse practitioners to the Lansing, Mich., region through a partnership with  McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital. 

Tamia Potter made history by matching with Vanderbilt University Medical Center's neurological surgery program on March 17. She is the first Black woman to be selected by the unit, which began over 90 years ago, VUMC confirmed to Becker's. 

The LockBit 3.0 ransomware is more invasive than its previous versions and is capable of dismantling malware detection, federal officials warn. 

Duluth, Minn.-based St. Luke's Health System implemented Meditech's smart pump infusion integration into its Baxter Spectrum IQ infusion system so that the health system's medical records and IV pumps can communicate electronically.

Universities across the U.S. are accelerating curriculum tracks to graduate medical students faster and help curb the ongoing healthcare workforce shortage.

Washington hospitals are in dire financial straits. Service cuts and closures are inevitable if such losses continue, The News Tribune reported March 22. 

The following hospital and health system COO moves have been shared with or reported by Becker's this year:

Renton, Wash.-based Providence had its second downgrade in less than a week amid higher expenses that helped lead to steeper-than-expected losses and an expectation of a multiyear recovery.

It's been three years since COVID-19 crept across the U.S., with the World Health Organization declaring the virus outbreak a pandemic in March 2020. Though the early days of the pandemic are over, hospital and health system CEOs told Becker's there are certain lessons that will stay with them in 2023 and beyond. 

Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health said it has put in place a number of initiatives that could boost the system by $280 million.

The site www.ivermectin4covid.com, which touted ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment despite a lack of clinical evidence, is temporarily suspended after the FDA warned the site of violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Becker's Healthcare is pleased to honor these impactful chief experience officers for hospitals and health systems across the U.S. for 2023.