Kaiser Permanente and Geisinger recently announced that they are coming together (pending regulatory review) with a shared mission to increase value in healthcare across the country. We, the three authors of this piece, have throughout our careers in health policy worked to improve access and affordability of care, and we all serve on Geisinger’s board. We have served on the Board because we believe Geisinger has been and will continue to be one of the organizations that move healthcare in the right direction. We write now to share why we believe that this new combination is a significant step toward that goal.

Inflation has hit healthcare particularly hard, as supply and labor costs increased significantly in the last year, but reimbursement rates haven't kept up. Health systems are now finding creative ways to add revenue streams and cut costs without hindering patient care.

Marc Gorelick, MD, approaches his job as president and CEO of Twin Cities-based Children's Minnesota with a commitment to stay personally connected to the more than 5,300 employees working at the organization. 

The prevalence of mental health issues is high, with one in three U.S. adults experiencing a mental illness during their lifetime.  However, although 60 percent of patients who obtain mental health treatment do so through their primary care provider (PCP), only 25 percent of individuals with behavioral health disorders who are treated within traditional primary care get better.

A group of former Miami-based Cano Health directors have urged shareholders to vote against some current board members and allow for nominations of other people. The annual shareholder meeting is set for June 15.

The Biden administration has been taking action to address the prescription drug supply shortage, which has caused upheaval both for patients and providers, according to a May 10 Bloomberg report.

Recent operational challenges in healthcare show no signs of slowing. Lingering staffing shortages, limited capacity, reimbursement pressures and growing patient communities in need of equitable care are forcing organizations to reexamine operating efficiency opportunities.

The CEO of the Mississippi Hospital Association said the recent exodus of several hospitals from the association has left him perplexed, according to Mississippi Today.

BrightWorks Holdings, a Brentwood, Tenn.-based advising agency, has created a new consulting practice: BrightWorks Health. 

Ankle monitor legislation spurred by the fatal shooting of two workers inside Methodist Dallas Medical Center in October is headed to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, The Dallas Morning News reported May 9.

The Corner Office series asks hospital and health system CEOs to answer questions about their life in and outside the office.

Hospital and health system CEO searches often span state borders in an effort to find the next leader to take the reins, but failing to shift the focus inward could be what some searches are missing, according to the Community Hospital Corp., a Plano, Texas-based company that owns, consults with, and manages community hospitals nationally. 

Mark Rosenblatt, MD, is one of two finalists for the role of vice president of medical affairs and dean of the medical college at University of Iowa Health Care, and he's calling for capacity expansion and partnerships to shape the future of the Iowa City-based health system, The Gazette reported May 9.

A group of CEOs and other leaders from hospitals and health systems are warning that nonprofit hospitals are "in trouble" if bills in Minnesota related to nurse staffing levels and healthcare costs become law. 

The White House is still searching for a director to helm a newly established office that would oversee pandemic preparedness and response efforts once the COVID-19 public health emergency ends May 11, people familiar with the matter told Politico in a May 5 report. 

Healthcare is suffering from an "inauthenticity epidemic" — so it is no surprise that "a lot of good, honest people" are looking to exit the industry, according to Sachin Jain, MD. 

National Hospital Week — which aims to recognize and celebrate hospitals, health systems and the people who work at them — began May 7 and runs through May 13. 

Rochelle Walensky, MD, is exiting her role as director of the CDC at the end of June. 

Despite significant intervention and investment over the past several decades, the U.S. healthcare system continues to be challenged by unrelenting rising costs and stagnant quality. 

Half of women say flexibility is a top-three factor when deciding whether or not to leave a company, according to a new report featured by the Society of Human Resources Management.