Pushback is mounting against new federal student-loan reforms passed under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, with lawmakers warning the policy could further strain the nursing workforce. In a Dec. 12 letter to Nicholas Kent, the undersecretary of education, a…

Flu hospitalizations are at the third-highest level seen at this point in the season in 15 years, according to the CDC’s latest FluView report. The cumulative flu hospitalization rate for the week ending Dec. 6 reached 6.9 per 100,000, ranking…

Emporia, Kan.-based Newman Regional Health and Burlington, Kan.-based Coffey Health System, have partnered through a shared services agreement designed to enhance the availability and continuity of specialty care in rural settings. The partnership launched with general surgery services provided across both hospitals…

A study comparing two flu therapies, Xofluza (baloxavir) and Tamiflu (oseltamivir), found reduced hospitalization risks and fewer emergency department visits among outpatients taking Xofluza.  The research, published Dec. 3 in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, assessed clinical outcomes of…

New Jersey is rolling out new obligations for physicians aimed at improving patient safety during sensitive medical exams. The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs has notified more than 67,000 physicians of new state medical board rules regarding breast, pelvic,…

COVID-19 vaccines sharply reduced children’s risk of emergency department and urgent care visits in the first six months after vaccination, according to a Dec. 11 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC analyzed data from more…

Many hospitals have credited nurse residency programs with driving improvements in retention rates over the past several years. Yet turnover among early-career nurses remains stubbornly high, with more than 22% of newly hired registered nurses leaving their jobs within the…

Eilidh Pederson has had a front-row seat to rural maternal care, giving her a unique lens into the issue. In July, she gave birth at the very hospital she helps lead. That experience deepened her understanding of the need for…

Wilmington, Del.-based Nemours Children’s plans to open an institute for maternal fetal health to enhance care for mothers who receive a serious fetal diagnosis during their pregnancy. The institute’s first location will open at Nemours Children’s Hospital in early 2026…

The U.S. suicide rate ticked down in 2024 after reaching its highest level in more than 80 years, according to provisional CDC data released Dec. 9. Last year’s age-adjusted suicide rate was 13.7 deaths per 100,000 people, down from 14.1…