CFOs were slightly more optimistic about the U.S. economy in the fourth quarter, with many expecting price growth at their organizations to remain above pre-COVID levels in 2024, according to results of The CFO Survey, a collaboration of Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and the Federal Reserve Banks of Richmond and Atlanta.

Newark, Del.-based ChristianaCare is paying $47.1 million to resolve an over six-year-old kickback lawsuit filed by the health system's former chief compliance officer, Ronald Sherman, according to a Dec. 21 press release from Walden Macht and Haran, the lead counsel for Mr. Sherman.

CMS issued a proposed rule Dec. 21 that outlines a process for Medicare beneficiaries to appeal their observational status during a hospital stay.

Mercy Iowa City (Iowa) cited a difficult EHR implementation as one of the primary reasons for having to file for bankruptcy in August, according to The Gazette.

Following Jersey City, N.J.-based CarePoint Health's call for $130 million in additional state funding, the health system has received "unanimous support" from Hoboken City Council regarding the resolution, according to a Dec. 21 release shared with Becker's.

While shuttered North Adams (Mass.) Regional Hospital is targeting a March 2024 reopening date, it still has a few more steps to take in the process, The Berkshire Eagle reported Dec. 21. 

New York health officials have approved the first phase of a plan to shift most of Ogdensburg-based Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center's management to Carthage Area Hospital, CBS affiliate WWNY reported Dec. 20. 

From Kaiser Permanente laying off 153 California employees to a planned seven-day healthcare worker strike at four Prime Healthcare California hospitals, here are some of the biggest California hospital and health system headlines that Becker's has reported on since Dec. 1:

Here are 15 revenue cycle management companies that have announced executive leadership changes in 2023:

Adrienne Moore, DrPH, took on the role of revenue cycle vice president at Phoenix-based Banner Health in March, during what she told Becker's was one of the "most challenging revenue years for systems providing healthcare."

Ridgecrest (Calif.) Regional Hospital plans to suspend its labor and delivery unit, effective March 1, and lay off 30 employees due to financial and staffing challenges, according to a WARN notice filed with state officials. 

Nearly 20% of U.S. hospitals have been warned that they violated the federal price transparency rules that went into effect in 2021, according to a Dec. 20 report from Bloomberg. 

The relationship between payers and providers can be contentious, especially in the current economic environment where costs are growing at a faster pace than reimbursement.

The health system deal market heated up in 2023.

Dayton, Ohio-based Premier Health has sold the building that houses its downtown headquarters for more than $5.5 million to Dayton-based Arkham Blue, an Ohio limited liability company, according to a limited warranty deed shared by the Montgomery County Auditor's Office with Becker's.

Since Casey McIntyre, 38, died from ovarian cancer in November, the campaign she started to pay off others' unpaid medical bills has gained national attention and is now valued at upward of $100 million. 

New Orleans-based Ochsner Health's new digital impact report revealed more than $56 million in total cost-of-care savings for some of its most vulnerable patients, including over $38 million in network provider rewards from 2022 to 2023, according to a Dec. 20 press release.

West Des Moines, Iowa-based MercyOne is shuttering another family medicine clinic — this time in Urbandale, Iowa, the Des Moines Register reported Dec. 20. 

As we continue to move out of the pandemic, Chris Bergman, vice president and CFO of Dayton Children's Hospital, is dedicating much of his time and effort to tackling the behavioral health crisis among kids in the new year.

Cleveland-based University Hospitals launched its "Medicare Breakeven" project in August 2022 to reduce expenses, grow revenues and develop a model that allowed the health system to bend its cost curve.