Why nurses are AI gatekeepers at MD Anderson

For nurses at Houston-based University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, tech adoption hinges on one question: Does it improve patient care? “Nurses have long memories,” said Lavonia Thomas, DNP, RN, chief nursing informatics and innovation officer of MD Anderson. If a technology fails — especially as a result of them not being involved in […]

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MultiCare pays $3.7M to settle medically unnecessary surgery allegations raised in whistleblower lawsuit — 8 things to know

Tacoma, Wash.-based MultiCare Health System has agreed to pay more than $3.7 million to resolve allegations that it fraudulently billed government and commercial insurers for spine surgeries performed by former neurosurgeon Jason Dreyer, DO.  Eight things to know:  1. The Justice Department said in a Feb. 4 news release that the investigation showed how “MultiCare […]

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Listen: Many Tents Are Gone, but Washington’s Homeless — And Their Health Problems — Aren’t

LISTEN: In this audio portrait of homeless people displaced by the Trump administration’s crackdown on encampments in the nation’s capital, KFF Health News senior correspondent Angela Hart tells of residents living outside this winter and their search for medical care and shelter. January’s extreme cold has put a spotlight on the conditions homeless people face. […]

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When the Doctor Needs a Checkup

He was a surgical oncologist at a hospital in a Southern city, a 78-year-old whose colleagues had begun noticing troubling behavior in the operating room. During procedures, he seemed “hesitant, not sure of how to go on to the next step without being prompted” by assistants, said Mark Katlic, director of the Aging Surgeon Program […]

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Lifepoint chief people officer heads to UT Austin 

Traci Nordberg has been appointed CHRO of The University of Texas at Austin’s academic health system, she wrote in a Feb. 2 LinkedIn post. Ms. Nordberg joined the organization after serving as chief people officer at Brentwood, Tenn.-based LifePoint Healthcare since January 2024, according to her LinkedIn profile.  Prior to that, she was senior vice […]

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Moody’s upgrades Lee Health’s credit rating

Fort Myers, Fla.-based Lee Health’s credit rating was upgraded to “A1” from “A2” by Moody’s.  The upgrade reflects Lee Health’s successful conversion from a public entity to a private, nonprofit health system, Moody’s said in its Jan. 30 report. The transition took effect on Nov. 1, 2024, and allowed the system greater flexibility, regional growth […]

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States with the most rural hospitals per 100,000

Massachusetts has the most hospitals per 100,000 rural residents while Delaware has the fewest, according to a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill report. The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at UNC-Chapel Hill used CMS’ rural health transformation program data to determine the number of healthcare facilities and population in rural […]

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