When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, elective procedures and other noncritical patient visits decreased to almost zero. This gave administrative teams at hospitals and health systems an opportunity to take a long, hard look at how they were handling the revenue cycle. Today, elective procedures and routine visits have resumed but healthcare organizations continue to experience intense financial stress and many wonder whether operations will soon become unsustainable.

Patient refunds from providers are on the rise. Unfortunately, refund processes tend to be manual, complex and time-consuming for both providers and patients alike, with traditional paper-based methods no longer matching the needs of consumers. As the number of patients paying out of pocket for healthcare services grows, refunds are taking on even greater importance. Patients often have multiple provider encounters that involve selfpay. Ensuring those dollars are posted accurately and appropriately is important in the provider’s relationship with the patient and in the patient’s overall journey and experience.

Roseville, Calif.-based Adventist Health plans to go from seven networks of care to five systemwide to reduce costs and strengthen operations, according to a Feb. 15 news release shared with Becker's.

When I was 4-5 years old, one of my neighborhood friends was enrolled in ballet. I naively thought that it would be amazing to be in a class with my best friend. My parents reluctantly complied with the request, as my neighbor’s parents had volunteered to drive me and make the arrangements.

Revenue cycle management is more difficult than ever, as hospitals and health systems try to deliver a positive financial experience for patients, bring in much-needed revenue and deal with ongoing labor shortages. 

Cardiovascular leaders should incorporate three important tools as part of a comprehensive CVD prevention program.

Delivering a remarkable patient experience is a top priority for providers.

Norton Healthcare in Louisville, Ky., plans to require all patients, employees and visitors to wear masks beginning Feb. 3, ABC affiliate WHAS reported Feb. 1.

Inefficient manual scheduling processes feed a vicious cycle of surgeons holding unneeded block time that leads to a perception of lack of OR availability and underutilization.

Vinmec Times City International Hospital, based in Hanoi, Vietnam, joined Cleveland Clinic's partnership network.

It’s no secret that emergency department overcrowding is hitting crisis levels. What’s less talked about, however, is yet another ripple effect from the COVID-19 pandemic that’s contributing to this growing problem—the admission of behavioral health patients to the ED. Already facing reduced staffing along with the collision of RSV, flu and COVID-19, overextended emergency departments simply don’t have the resources to handle the current influx of this growing patient population that is not only showing a rise in the geriatric baby boomer population moving beyond retirement, but is also experiencing a disproportionate increase in self-harm among the 0-24 age demographic.

Healthcare will look very different in 2033 as the workforce evolves and systems incorporate digital technology to improve access to care.

OVERVIEW: The best time to reduce readmissions happens before discharge. Interventional analytics make it possible to quickly identify and mitigate issues that lead to increased cost of care and readmissions penalties.

The executives featured in this article are all speaking at the Becker's Healthcare 13th Annual Meeting April 3-6, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago.

Burdened by tight margins, hospitals and health systems are looking at all possible ways to avoid missed revenue.

The workforce crisis has made it difficult for healthcare organizations to support employees, deliver clinical excellence and prioritize the patient experience. To transform operations and address these issues, many hospitals and health systems are turning to technology and digital solutions. 

As the expiration of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) draws near, healthcare providers face a storm of uncertainty. Already grappling with staffing shortages and overwhelmed emergency departments (EDs), providers need practical strategies to help them manage fallout from the end of the PHE — namely, fast and accurate ways to help a large volume of eligible patients to re-enroll in Medicaid without additional administrative burden.

Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare officially changed its name to Intermountain Health on Jan. 23. 

Executives from some of the largest companies across the world gathered in Davos, Switzerland Jan. 16 to 20 for the World Economic Forum.

FlowHawk is Industry’s First and Only Clinical Workflow Automation Solution for Transplant