Insights & Analysis for Academic Medical Centers

A 2026 Vizient Impact of Change forecast found adult outpatient behavioral health volumes to rise 22% by 2036, more than seven times the 3% increase a population-based model would suggest. For health systems, that gap between projected need and current capacity is…

Medicare’s new experiment in prior authorization has cleared its most consequential political test to date. On July 16, the Senate voted 46-50 along party lines against advancing a resolution to end the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction Model, CMS’ six-state…

Greenville, N.C.-based ECU Health — a collaboration between East Carolina University and Vidant Health — restored full in-network status with UnitedHealthcare plans under a new multi-year agreement, the insurer and health system said Aug. 7. The contract spans employer-sponsored commercial,…

Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital established an affiliation more than 70 years ago in the Texas Medical Center. Much has changed since then, with both institutions growing in scope and footprint, but the objective remains the same:…

For a more in-depth analysis of 2026 healthcare financial trends, find our full trends report here. A dynamic mix of risk and reward has shaped 2026. This CommerceHealthcare® report examines key issues across these areas: This report tracks the status…

Hershey, Pa.-based Penn State Health has expanded its employee tuition program, extending it to all full-time employees, including new hires at any system location, and their eligible dependents, according to a July 30 news release.  Under the expanded tuition program,…

Across the country, health systems continue to invest in operating rooms while surgeons still hear the same message: there isn’t enough OR time. Yet when organizations take a closer look, the story is often more complicated. The challenge is not…

OU Health University of Oklahoma Medical Center performed what it said is the second recorded bilateral transcatheter pulmonary valve placement, according to a news release shared with Becker’s. The Oklahoma City-based academic health system added that the milestone positions it…

A growing number of U.S. hospitals are staffing patient monitoring and care coordination with remote workers in the Philippines, where labor can cost up to 70% less than on-site staff, according to Rest of World. The U.S.-based news outlet, which…

The United States continues to warn of a worsening physician shortage. The American Academy of Medical Colleges projects a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036, and notes that current access gaps are already substantial, especially in primary care…