The Specialty Facing a Million Dollar Gender Pay Gap
A Yale‑led study of the AAMC Faculty Salary Survey (2016‑2024) shows that female ophthalmologists in academia earn less than male peers at every rank. Women now represent a slight majority of assistant professors but only 30% of full professors and 19% of department chairs. Across ranks, women earn 85‑91% of male salaries, and the disparity translates into an estimated $1.04 million loss over a 30‑year career.
‘They’ve Turned the Dial up on Denying Preauthorizations’: CHS Blames Payers for Volume Drop
Community Health Systems (CHS) reported a first‑quarter drop in same‑store inpatient admissions (‑1.3% YoY) and surgeries (‑2.2%), attributing the decline to aggressive payer pre‑authorization denials and macro‑economic anxiety among patients with high‑deductible plans. The pressure was most pronounced among commercial...
Vermont Hospital Partners with OB-GYN Group to Sustain Birthing Services
Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans, Vermont, has teamed up with independent OB‑GYN practice Maitri Health Care to preserve local obstetric and gynecologic services. Birth volumes at the hospital have dropped from over 500 to roughly 300 deliveries per year,...
UPMC Funds 3 Startups at AI Pitch Competition
UPMC pledged funding to three AI startups at a pitch competition held at Carnegie Mellon, judged by UPMC Enterprises president Jeanne Cunicelli and Mark Cuban. The winners received $125,000 for Sensi Fit, $75,000 for MyoVerse, and $50,000 for Perforated A1,...
Cleveland Clinic’s Plan to ‘Flip’ the Medicare Advantage Model
Cleveland Clinic is reversing the trend of hospitals exiting Medicare Advantage by moving to the payer side, taking delegated premium risk to manage total cost of care. The health system entered three value‑based risk agreements and targets $1.4 billion in Medicare...
Hope Dims for Trump’s Surgeon General Nominee: 4 Details
President Donald Trump’s nominee for surgeon general, Dr. Casey Means, a wellness influencer and entrepreneur, faces an increasingly uncertain path to confirmation after a contentious Senate HELP Committee hearing. The hearing highlighted her lack of an active medical license, incomplete...
How Women Executives Are Rewriting Healthcare Leadership — 4 Takeaways
At Becker’s Hospital Review’s 16th Annual Meeting, four senior women leaders in healthcare discussed how they are reshaping leadership norms. They emphasized that clarity is a structural skill that resolves the “decisive but accommodating” paradox, and that sponsorship—providing access and...
Highest-Paid Payer CEOs in 2025
UnitedHealth Group chief Stephen Hemsley topped the 2025 list of highest‑paid payer CEOs, earning a total of $60.94 million, largely driven by a one‑time $60 million equity award. Former UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty placed second with $24.6 million, while Cigna, Elevance Health, CVS...
3 Female CFOs on Moments that Defined Their Careers
At Becker’s 16th Annual Meeting, three senior healthcare CFOs—Shelly Schorer of CommonSpirit Health, Judy Peek‑Lee of the University of Vermont Medical Center, and Monica Price of Texas Health Resources—shared the pivotal moments that shaped their careers. They highlighted how female...
3 Pillars Shaping the Future of Pharmacy
Penn Medicine is redesigning its pharmacy model around three pillars: patient‑centric access, clinical integration, and technology‑enabled care. The health system is moving services from fixed locations to home‑based and digital touchpoints, aiming to cut barriers like prior‑authorization delays and improve...
Building a Stable Physician Workforce: Insights From Healthcare Executives
Hospital and health system leaders convened at Becker’s 16th Annual Meeting to address physician shortages and workforce instability. Executives from Salem Health, Asante, Endeavor Health, and Corewell Health shared models that blend locum tenens, care‑team structures, and robust change‑management tactics....
Novant Health Taps Chief Growth Officer
Novant Health announced that Richard Divers will assume the role of senior vice president and chief growth officer on April 13. Divers will steer the system’s enterprise growth strategy, covering mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and expansion projects aimed at widening...
Top 15 Specialty Pharmacies of 2025: Report
The Drug Channels report shows the specialty pharmacy market remains tightly concentrated, with PBM‑affiliated chains capturing roughly two‑thirds of dispensing revenue in 2025. Specialty drug spending rose 9.6% to $293.4 billion, while accredited locations topped 1,900, a 3% year‑over‑year increase. Hospital‑owned...
Frictionless Access Is Healthcare’s Next Front Door
Mount Sinai is overhauling its patient‑front‑door by integrating CLEAR’s digital identity platform, giving patients and staff an optional, fast‑track check‑in experience. The hospital used focus groups to shape a solution that blends digital convenience with traditional registration for those who...
South Carolina System Opens Outpatient Pharmacy
McLeod Health in Florence, South Carolina, opened a new 12,000‑square‑foot outpatient pharmacy on April 26, replacing a 2,200‑square‑foot location inside its hospital tower. The expanded site, repurposed from a former emergency‑department space, adds a drive‑through window, curbside pickup, and a...
ECRI Spins Off Supply Tech Company
ECRI has spun off its healthcare spend and recall management unit into a new independent company called Staritas. Staritas will deliver data‑driven supply chain intelligence, leveraging AI and real‑time analytics used by nearly 90% of top U.S. hospitals and providers...
Mount Sinai Launches Women’s Health Podcast Series
Mount Sinai Health System has launched “HERology,” a new podcast series dedicated to comprehensive women’s health. The show is co‑hosted by four Mount Sinai physicians and researchers and features both internal specialists and external experts, including public figures. Episodes will...
Revisiting The Competency-Based Board of Directors
Healthcare boards are re‑examining strict competency‑based composition as new regulatory, technological and economic pressures demand broader strategic insight. Traditional governance models that prioritize narrow expertise in areas like M&A, finance or legal risk becoming siloed and less adaptable. Industry surveys...
Providence’s Physician Chief on Its ‘Holistic’ Approach to Value-Based Care
Providence’s physician chief Susan Huang highlighted a holistic, data‑driven value‑based care model that delivered more than $177 million in Medicare shared‑savings in 2024, up from $148 million the prior year. The approach integrates clinical outcomes, financial incentives, and community health across a...
Florida System Raises $100M for New ED
Jackson Health Foundation announced a $100 million fundraising achievement to fund a new emergency department at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. The 178,000‑square‑foot facility, three times the size of the existing ER, will feature 57 observation rooms and four advanced resuscitation...
North Carolina System Names COO
Cape Fear Valley Health, a Fayetteville‑based health system, appointed Michael Tart as its chief operating officer. Tart, who has served as interim COO since February, has been with the organization for more than a decade and currently leads two of...
Mark Cuban Wants to Bring Drug Manufacturing to Hospitals’ Doorsteps — Literally
Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs is rolling out modular drug‑manufacturing pods that fit into tractor‑trailers, allowing hospitals to produce injectables and specialty medicines on‑site. The Dallas‑based facility already makes epinephrine, norepinephrine, Pitocin and pediatric cancer drugs, and claims rare‑disease therapies...
UCI Health Names Chief AI Officer
Deepti Pandita, MD, has been appointed chief medical informatics and AI officer at UCI Health in Orange, California. Pandita, who joined the system in 2023 as vice president of clinical informatics and chief medical information officer, will now oversee the...
Nevada Hospital Names CEO
Carson Valley Health, a Gardnerville, Nevada health system, announced Shannon Rogers as its new chief executive officer. Rogers has been with the organization since 2004 and most recently served as chief operating officer for eight years. During her tenure she...
Mass General Brigham, CVS Deal Could Raise Healthcare Spending $40M Annually: Report
Mass General Brigham and CVS plan to convert 37 MinuteClinic locations into MinuteClinic Primary Care sites within the health system’s network. A Massachusetts Health Policy Commission report estimates the partnership could add about $40 million in annual healthcare spending after the...
Mark Cuban Dives Into Direct Contracting
Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Wellness is an open‑source direct‑contracting platform that links self‑insured employers with hospitals and physicians through publicly posted agreements. The site currently hosts 27 contracts covering more than 9,200 providers, including Dallas‑based Baylor Scott & White Health...
HHS Names Chief Economist, Regulatory Leader to Address Healthcare Affordability
Casey Mulligan, PhD, has been named chief economist and chief regulatory officer at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He will advise Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on strategies to curb rising healthcare costs, a priority after a Gallup...
Trinity Health to Open $226M Replacement Hospital April 19
Trinity Health will open a $226 million, 174,000‑square‑foot replacement hospital in Brighton, Michigan on April 19, moving the Livingston Hospital from its Howell site. The new four‑story campus adds 56 acuity‑adaptable beds, eight operating rooms and expanded cardiac CT and women’s imaging...
Sharp HealthCare Taps Apple Vision Pro for Surgical Innovation
Sharp HealthCare in San Diego has launched an IRB‑approved clinical study to evaluate Apple’s Vision Pro headset in cataract surgery. The feasibility and safety study will measure how spatial‑computing tools affect depth perception, workflow efficiency, and surgeon ergonomics. Conducted at Sharp...
UW Health Inks Deal to Become Packers’ Official Healthcare Partner
UW Health, a Madison‑based health system, signed a multiyear deal to become the Green Bay Packers’ official healthcare partner. The agreement includes permanent signage at the stadium’s north gate, logo patches on practice jerseys, and presenting sponsorship of the Packers...
California Hospital CEO Steps Down
Sandra Anaya will step down as CEO of Palo Verde Hospital in Blythe, California, after nearly 13 years of service, with her last day set for April 23. The departure occurs amid a 180‑day emergency department stabilization plan approved in...
How CHS, HCA, Tenet, and UHS’ CEO-to-Worker Pay Ratios Ranked in 2025
In 2025 the CEO‑to‑worker pay ratios at four major for‑profit health systems diverged sharply. HCA Healthcare posted the widest gap at 420‑to‑1, while Tenet Healthcare’s ratio jumped to a staggering 711‑to‑1. UnitedHealth Services (UHS) held steady at 283‑to‑1, and Community...
RFK Jr. Says He’ll Reform Preventive Task Force: 4 Hearing Takeaways
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced plans to overhaul the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) during a Ways and Means Committee hearing. He pledged more frequent meetings, greater transparency, and the addition of new members with a clear...
10 Fastest-Growing Jobs for New Graduates
LinkedIn’s 2023‑2025 analysis identified the ten fastest‑growing entry‑level jobs for recent graduates, led by AI engineer and marketing coordinator roles. The study examined millions of member profiles, measuring growth based on the first full‑time post‑graduation position and excluding internships or...
Northwestern Medicine Posts 4.5% Operating Margin in Q2
Northwestern Medicine reported a $132.7 million operating income, translating to a 4.5% operating margin for Q2 2026, down from a 5.7% margin a year earlier. Total operating revenue rose to $3 billion, propelled by higher patient service and rental income, while operating...
Tenet’s 5 Highest-Paid Execs in 2025
Tenet Healthcare’s chair and CEO Saum Sutaria earned $43.1 million in 2025, a 75% increase from the prior year, driven largely by $31.7 million in stock awards and a $9 million non‑equity incentive. The Dallas‑based operator reported $21.3 billion in revenue, $4.6 billion in adjusted...
Former UCLA OB-GYN Resentenced to 11 Years
Former UCLA OB‑GYN James Heaps, MD, was resentenced to 11 years in prison after a California appeals court ordered a retrial, finding his original trial compromised by a juror’s limited English. On April 14, Heaps pleaded guilty to six felony...
California Regional Hospital Taps Chief Nurse
PIH Health Whittier has promoted Lydia Arroyo, MSN, RN, to chief nursing officer. Arroyo joined the system in 2022 as senior director of maternal‑child health services and most recently served as vice president of nursing operations. In her new role...
E-Bikes, Scooters Linked to 7% of Trauma Admissions: Study
Researchers at NYU Langone Health examined 914 trauma patients treated at Bellevue Hospital over five years and found that nearly 7% of admissions involved e‑bikes, scooters or pedal‑powered bikes. The share of electric‑mobility cases climbed from under 10% in 2018...
Kentucky System Launches Specialty Pharmacy in 3 Clinics
Med Center Health in Kentucky has partnered with Boston‑based ClearWay Health to launch a specialty pharmacy program in three clinics—Neurology, Western Kentucky Heart & Lung, and Gastroenterology. Certified pharmacists and patient liaisons will embed in care teams to identify patients,...
House Eyes Bill to Allow Drug Expenditures to Count Toward Insurance Deductibles
Rep. Greg Murphy introduced the Every Dollar Counts Act, a bill that would require out‑of‑pocket spending on prescription drugs—regardless of purchase channel—to count toward a patient’s deductible and maximum out‑of‑pocket limit. The legislation targets a gap where many health plans...
8 Systems Restructuring C-Suites in 2026
Eight U.S. health systems are reshaping their C‑suite structures in 2026, favoring role expansions and internal consolidations over widespread layoffs. Leaders at Huntington Health, Texas Health Resources, Vandalia Health, Cleveland Clinic, Centra Health, Sentara Halifax, Erlanger and Prime Healthcare have...
Ambience Unveils Multi-Year Roadmap to ‘Rebuild’ Healthcare with AI
Ambience Healthcare announced a multi‑year AI platform roadmap at its Apex Summit, shifting focus from documentation automation to a comprehensive intelligence layer across clinical, revenue and research workflows. The company, fresh from a $243 million Series C that lifted its valuation to...
Owner of Closed Illinois Hospitals Files Lawsuit over Eviction Notices
Resilience Healthcare, operator of the closed Weiss Memorial and West Suburban Medical Center hospitals in Chicago, filed a declaratory‑judgment lawsuit on April 14 against landlord Ramco Healthcare Holdings over eviction notices it says breach the lease. The notices demanded roughly...
California Judge Dismisses Elevance’s No Surprises Act Lawsuit Against HaloMD
A California federal judge dismissed Elevance Health’s lawsuit against HaloMD, which alleged a conspiracy to abuse the No Surprises Act’s Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) process. Anthem Blue Cross claimed HaloMD filed over 1,500 IDR proceedings from January 2024 to August...
AI Chatbots Miss Initial Diagnoses 80% of the Time: Mass General Brigham Study
A Mass General Brigham study published in JAMA Network Open evaluated 21 large‑language‑model chatbots across 29 standardized medical cases. The models struggled with differential diagnosis, missing the correct list of possible conditions in more than 80% of scenarios. When provided...
NewYork-Presbyterian to Pay $500K, Enact Behavioral Health Reforms in Wake of Investigation
NewYork-Presbyterian has agreed to pay a $500,000 settlement and face $10,000 per‑violation penalties after a year‑long investigation by the New York State Attorney General. The probe uncovered repeated failures in evaluating, stabilizing and safely discharging patients experiencing behavioral health crises,...
150+ Healthcare Organizations Accepted Into CMS’ ACCESS Model
More than 150 healthcare organizations have been accepted into the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ACCESS Model, a pilot aimed at advancing technology‑enabled chronic care. CMS extended the application deadline to May 15, with the voluntary model slated to...
Healthcare’s Role Clarity Problem
Healthcare organizations are grappling with growing role ambiguity as team‑based models, workforce shortages, and new technologies blur traditional nursing responsibilities. At Rush University Medical Center, newly appointed chief nursing officer Deana Sievert uncovered inconsistent duties among charge nurses, clinical nurse...
CommonSpirit Cuts 1st-Year RN Turnover 41%
Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health has rolled out a virtual nursing model across more than 1,000 beds, integrating remote nurses into bedside teams to handle non‑clinical tasks. The initiative has cut first‑year RN turnover by roughly 41%‑47% and lowered catheter‑associated urinary tract...