Hyro, a conversational artificial intelligence company used by Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare, Cincinnati-based Mercy Health and Coral Gables, Fla.-based Baptist Health, raised $20 million in series B financing. 

Childhood obesity rates in the U.S. are not where they need to be affecting nearly 20 percent of children and adolescents, according to the CDC, and weight-loss surgeries are increasing in children as a result. 

Charlottesville, Va.-based UVA Health is launching the Center for Excellence for Telehealth and Aging, an institute that will aim to provide telehealth tools to older adult patients.

U.S. News & World Report is updating the methodology for its "Best Children's Hospitals" ranking, set to release June 21. 

Colorado Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera signed HB23-1215, legislation that will mandate hospitals increase transparency around facility fees and prohibit healthcare organizations from charging facility fees for telehealth procedures.

Walmart is boosting the wages of more than 7,000 pharmacists and opticians as it continues its push into retail healthcare.

BJC HealthCare, based in St. Louis, and St. Luke's Health System, based in Kansas City, Mo., have signed a non-binding letter of intent to form an integrated academic health system. 

Indianapolis-based IU Health, while having its default rating and that on $1.5 billion of bonds affirmed at "AA," saw its outlook downgraded amid persistent inflationary challenges and greater than expected capital expenditures, Fitch Ratings said May 31.

Wichita Falls, Texas-based Kell West Regional Hospital's price transparency fine is under review as of May 25, according to CMS' enforcement website. 

Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai's new center, dubbed the Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Education, will focus on "democratizing" artificial intelligence so all clinicians and biomedical researchers will be able to use it regardless of training or expertise, Jason Moore, PhD, director of the center, told Becker's. 

Syracuse, N.Y.-based St. Joseph's Health is inviting back employees who were terminated for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, WSTM reported May 31. 

As the healthcare industry faces mounting challenges, systems are slimming down to navigate the storm from a leaner ship. 

Fresh off unveiling its $100 million venture capital fund, Wellstar Health System said it plans to open a new innovation center in downtown Atlanta, Atlanta Business Chronicle reported.

Life in healthcare depends on perspective. You can take a negative approach and see all the challenges in front of you. Or, you can look at things differently and see plenty of opportunities, Michael Dowling, CEO of Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, N.Y., told Becker's when asked about the importance of optimism and his thoughts about the future of healthcare.

Several of The Joint Commission's elements of performance for critical access hospitals will be added or revised to align with CMS' final rule published in the Federal Register in November.— regarding restraint and seclusion as well as the complaint process

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, N.Y., has named Crystal Rodriguez-Dabney senior vice president and chief diversity officer. 

Northern Light Health has named Gregory LaFrancois president of its Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. 

The Queen's Health System in Honolulu has named Darlena Chadwick, MSN, its new executive vice president and chief operating officer. 

Centennial, Colo.-based Centura Health has named Jim Sheets group president to oversee the system's sites of care in Colorado and Utah.

Screenings that were delayed due to COVID-19 are likely to contribute to an exponential increase in cancer diagnosis totals over the next few years, experts say.