1. 8 recent hospital credit rating downgrades   Full story

2. Anesthesiologists join patient lawsuit against UnitedHealth over surprise medical bills  Full story

3. US to offer booster shots starting Sept. 20  Full story

4. Success stories + common pitfalls: How to actually reduce readmissions.

5. Healthcare's richest self-made women, per Forbes  Full story

6. Cerner taps 2 new execs to lead client services business: 4 things to know  Full story

7. Louisiana hospitals: Medicare Advantage prior authorization limits care  Full story 

8. 10 hospitals seeking RCM talent  Full story

9. Physician profitability can be greatly improved with timely data. Click here to learn how.

10. Illinois hospital settles fraud allegations  Full story

11. 6 hospitals cutting inpatient care  Full story

12. Per-person healthcare spending by race, ethnicity  Full story

13. It takes hospitals 90 days on average to onboard a physician, but it doesn't have to. Learn why.

14. Top 10 schools for earning medical billing and coding credentials online  Full story

15. Daily COVID-19 stats, state-by-state:

• Test positivity rates
• Hospitalization rates
• Death rates
• Vaccines administered
• Population fully vaccinated

Becker's Learning Opportunities

1. What's AI's next act in healthcare? Click here to learn how hospitals are already implementing the next phase.

2. Meaningful patient experience improvements go beyond satisfaction surveys. Click here for 4 bold thoughts to kickstart real change.

3. COVID-19 altered the retirement timetable. Read the 2021 Retirement Survey Report to learn how health systems can respond.