Michigan bills target aggressive medical debt collection practices

Michigan Senate lawmakers have proposed a pair of bills aimed at curbing how hospitals and debt collectors can recoup unpaid debts, Bridge Michigan reported Jan. 28.  The package of bills would:  Bar large healthcare facilities and medical debt collectors from taking “extraordinary collection actions,” such as garnishing wages, foreclosing on property or causing an arrest. […]

Continue Reading

Ohio hospital integrates supply chain platform to cut waste

Marysville, Ohio-based Memorial Hospital has selected CareCloud’s platform to modernize its supply chain operations. The agreement brings the platform’s automated tracking, charge capture and mobile inventory features to the community hospital, which aims to reduce supply waste and improve operational efficiency. The platform integrates usage data with billing systems and provides real-time inventory visibility at […]

Continue Reading

OSF HealthCare to upgrade 139 ultrasound units

Peoria, Ill.-based OSF HealthCare has launched an initiative to modernize and standardize ultrasound technology across its hospitals and clinics. Over the next three years, OSF plans to upgrade 139 ultrasound units used in women’s health, general radiology and breast imaging, according to a Jan. 28 news release from the health system. The phased deployment is […]

Continue Reading

Northwestern’s ‘total artificial lung system’ keeps patient alive for 48 hours

A total artificial lung system developed at Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine kept a patient alive for 48 hours after lung removal and prior to lung transplant, according to a study publishing Jan. 29 in Med.  The procedure took place in 2023 on a patient with severe lung damage related to an initial case of influenza that […]

Continue Reading

GLP-1 momentum drives 79% pharma M&A surge

GLP-1 therapies helped drive a 79% year-over-year increase in strategic pharmaceutical M&A deal value through mid-November 2025, as drugmakers ramped up efforts to meet surging demand and expand their metabolic portfolios. According to Bain & Co.’s Global M&A Report 2026, the spike in activity reflects a shift in strategy: Acquirers are no longer focused solely […]

Continue Reading

CMS secures $600M in tech support for Medicaid work rules

Ten health technology companies have pledged more than $600 million in no-cost and discounted services to help states implement Medicaid community engagement requirements. According to a Jan. 29 news release from CMS, the commitments support implementation of work, education and community-based activity requirements enacted under the Working Families Tax Cut, which applies to certain Medicaid-enrolled […]

Continue Reading

UC Davis Children’s names VP, associate chief nurse 

UC Davis Children’s Hospital in Sacramento has promoted Virpal Donley, RN, to vice president and associate chief nursing executive. Ms. Donley has more than 15 years of leadership experience at the hospital, where she most recently served as inpatient unit director and nurse manager of the PICU and critical care transport team. She will continue […]

Continue Reading

HHS pulls guidance on reproductive health drug access

HHS has rescinded a civil rights guidance directed at the nation’s retail pharmacies, reversing a directive that outlined their legal obligations to dispense medications tied to reproductive health. HHS’ Office for Civil Rights withdrew its September 2023 guidance, which had updated a 2022 version addressing sex and disability discrimination under federal law, according to a […]

Continue Reading

How 14 health systems plan on aligning quality, safety, and financial performance in 2026

Becker’s asked 14 healthcare leaders what steps they’re taking to align quality, Safety, and financial performance in 2026. The leaders featured below are speaking at Becker’s Perioperative Summit, Sept. 14-Sep. 15, 2026, at the Hilton Chicago. If you would like to join the event as a speaker, please contact Scott King at sking@beckershealthcare.com. As part of […]

Continue Reading