The wealthiest hospitals in the U.S. largely emerged from the pandemic strained but still financially sound, while solo hospital operators or small health systems that entered the pandemic with less cash reserves are increasingly in trouble with lenders, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Oregon Health & Science University's board has adopted a break-even operating budget for its fiscal year starting July 1, according to a June 23 release.

Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow the state to temporarily take control of a hospital that wants to end essential services, NPR affiliate WGBH reported July 6. 

El Dorado-based South Arkansas Regional Hospital began its life as a nonprofit entity July 1 when services officially began to be offered, according to a July 6 Magnolia Report article.

Officials for Coeur d'Alene, Idaho-based Kootenai Health said the health system is on track to complete its conversion from a public health system to a private nonprofit entity by the end of the year, the Coeur d'Alene Press reported July 6. 

If 2022 was the worst year for hospitals and health systems since the start of the pandemic, 2023 is showing signs of growing stabilization as operating margins inch up.

The only proton therapy center in Georgia, and one of only 36 in the nation, has engaged consultants to provide "interim administrative and operational management services" as well as accounting and finance management, according to a July 6 filing.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams on June 23 signed a bill establishing the country's first healthcare accountability office. Here are four things to know about the new office: 

Site-neutral payments aim to charge the same wherever a service is provided. Hospitals are unfairly treated as a result of such payments because of the unique services they provide, according to Rick Pollack, CEO of the American Hospital Association.

Dallas-based Steward Health Care closed a hospital in Texas this year and threatened to close another in Pennsylvania before selling it in 2020. Stan McLaren, CEO of Carney Hospital in Dorchester, Mass., another Steward hospital, remains bullish about survival despite ongoing financial challenges, according to The Bay State Banner. 

Employees of a Mississippi hospital recently saw their paychecks delayed, Greenville, Miss.-based Delta Health System confirmed to Becker's.

Six health systems recently posted job listings seeking revenue cycle vice presidents. 

Howard Memorial Hospital in Nashville, Ark., has filed a complaint against UnitedHealthcare's Medicare Advantage program alleging that the insurer had not been paying the hospital according to their contract, Southwest Arkansas Radio reported July 5.

For-profit Detroit Medical Center Children's Hospital was among the beneficiaries of an approved Michigan $82 billion budget that includes more than $900 million in so-called pet projects, The Detroit News reported July 2.

More than 250 physicians and healthcare providers are now out of network with UnitedHealthcare in Conway, Ark., and Central Arkansas, according to a July 5 Arkansas Money and Politics report.

South Dakota has expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, resulting in new eligibility for health coverage for about 52,000 residents of the state, including many members of South Dakota tribes, according to CMS. 

The Cleveland Clinic Foundation has increased an existing credit agreement to $250 million, according to a July 5 filing.

Hospitals in Maryland must now reimburse patients who were eligible for free care or face a fine of up to $50,000 per violation. 

CMS has proposed a 2.2 percent pay cut for home health providers next year, or an estimated $375 million less than 2023 levels.

While management efforts to reverse the trend are likely to lead to eventual recovery, several years of weak operating results saw the University of Vermont Medical Center downgraded to "A," Fitch Ratings said June 30.