Rising costs in the medical supply chain are pushing health system leaders to get creative, according to Jay Kirkpatrick at Lifepoint Health and Bill Keller at HCA Healthcare. 

Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare is expanding its use of an automated AI medical documentation tool to its network of emergency departments after a successful pilot. 

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear recently signed a bill into law that shields healthcare providers from being criminally charged for medical errors, making it the first state to do so.

Piedmont Healthcare, a 23-hospital health system based in Atlanta, will move hundreds of executive and administrative support workers from three Atlanta-area offices into a centralized location in the city's Atlantic Station district, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported April 23. 

The amount of time physicians work after hours or on weekends is increasing, and one more task is adding to the burden — mandatory training modules, according to an article on the American Medical Association website.

Hospital and health system CEOs understand the need to meet demand for healthcare services while also focusing on the well-being of employees and strengthening the talent pipeline. They are also focusing on healthcare education and workforce development.

It's been a busy week for hospital and health system CFO moves.

Charlotte, N.C.-based Advocate Health posted an operating income of $606.6 million in 2023, according to its April 23 financial report. 

Keytruda (pembrolizumab) was nonfederal hospitals' costliest drug expense in 2023, according to research published April 24 in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. 

Truckee, Calif.-based Tahoe Forest Health System clinics in Tahoe City, Calif., were forced to temporarily close on April 22 after the building suffered damage from a small fire.

Washington hospitals suffered a collective $1.74 billion in operating losses in 2023, according to an April 23 report from the Washington State Hospital Association. 

AdventHealth Daytona Beach (Fla.), part of Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth, is planning a $220 million expansion.

Tina Griffin, DPN, RN, is retiring as COO and vice president of patient care services of Athol (Mass.) Hospital, part of Gardner, Mass.-based Heywood Healthcare..

More than $38 billion was spent in the U.S. on Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide) in 2023 — a 100% uptick from 2022 expenditure data, according to research published April 24 in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. 

MercyOne's specialty clinic in Des Moines is ending gynecologic oncology surgical services June 1, ABC affiliate KCCI reported April 23.

The Alice L. Walton School of Medicine in Bentonville, Ark., is continuing to appoint faculty and leaders as it prepares for the launch of its four-year medical degree program in 2025.

Direct care nurses should be involved in all aspects of staffing, according to standards set forth in new guidance from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. 

The Federal Trade Commission on April 23 voted 3-2 to ban noncompete agreements in a move it estimates will save up to $194 billion in healthcare costs over the next decade. 

Union Springs, Ala.-based Bullock County Hospital laid off 95 employees beginning April 9, according to regulatory documents filed with the state.

Jennifer Burrows, RN, was named chief executive of Providence Oregon, effective May 6, according to a message to staff from Joel Gilbertson, chief executive of the Providence Central Division.