State senators in California have introduced bills that would increase the scope of care for nurse practitioners, optometrists, pharmacists and physician assistants, according to a KGO-TV/Associated Press report.

The Joint Commission has listed five of its requirements that were most often identified as "not compliant" for 2012 for accredited organizations and certified programs.

New York Downtown Hospital in Lower Manhattan is axing its residency program and will cease to be a teaching hospital at the end of June, according to a WNYC report.

As most health professionals have found out the hard way, even thoughtfully conceived treatment plans, painstakingly crafted hospital-discharge instructions and carefully designed drug regimens are of little benefit if patients can't access recommended care or don't adhere to prescribed medication…

Rishi Sikka, MD, vice president of clinical transformation at Oak Brook, Ill.-based Advocate Health Care, received the 2013 Community Health Leadership Award from the Chicago Health Executives Forum in February. The award was given in recognition of Dr. Sikka's innovative…

The Missouri House of Representatives approved a bill that would allow healthcare workers to refuse to participate in medical procedures and research that conflict with their religious, ethical or moral beliefs, according to an Associated Press/St. Louis Post-Dispatch report.

The rate of accidental awareness under general anesthesia is extremely rare, about one in 15,000, according to U.S. News & World Report.

The decrease in the number of potentially preventable hospital admissions from 2005 to 2010 saved nearly $1 billion in hospital costs, according to a Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project statistical brief.

Two providers from Sandhills Internal Medicine Clinic in Rockingham, N.C. have affiliated with Pinehurst, N.C.-based FirstHealth of the Carolinas' medical group.

More than half of the nation's hospitals plan to acquire physician practices this year, according to a survey conducted by Jackson Healthcare.