Capital Finance

With over 47 million residents in the U.S. whose primary language isn't English it stands to reason that all hospitals and healthcare clinics will encounter multilingual patients. Increasing state and federal requirements for communicating with limited English speakers have challenged hospital administrators to find cost-effective solutions.

According to a recent study, a majority of hospital and health system merger and acquisition transactions have not been financially successful.

Last week, a panel of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) experts joined moderator Steve Monroe, managing editor and partner of research and publishing firm, Irving Levin Associates, for a question-and-answer session about buying, selling and valuing SNFs. We share some of the insider tips and perspectives offered during the 90-minute webcast.

While hospitals historically have focused on driving down costs by making improvements in their revenue cycle, nurse productivity and supply chain management efficiency, one area that hasn't received as much attention is the costs associated with the number of assets hospitals own and maintain, said John McCarthy, general manager of asset management professional services at GE Healthcare. McCarthy shares four initiatives to help healthcare organizations reduce overall inventory and drive down costs.

Healthcare IT and pharma M&A activity year-to-date improved 19 percent compared to the first three quarters of 2011, according to a recent report from mid-market investment banking firm Berkery Noyes.

By implementing evidence-based blood transfusion guidelines and industry-wide standardizations at hospitals, there is an opportunity for hospitals to save millions annually in blood purchasing costs alone.

Transitioning to cloud services may be the next big technology move for your organization. What's involved? How much does it cost? Is it worth it? We talked to some folks familiar with cloud computing for "Navigating the Cloud," an e-supplement available on our websites in November. Here's an excerpt from "Financing your transition to the cloud."

UnitedHealth Group announced yesterday that it would pay $4.9 billion to buy a 90 percent stake in Brazilian healthcare company Anil Participacoes S.A., the country's largest private insurer and operator of health clinics serving more than 5 million people.

Capital raised by healthcare real estate investment trusts (HCREITs) continues to outpace other REIT categories, due primarily to investor interest in medical office buildings and senior housing, according to data released recently by financial and professional services firm Jones Lang LaSalle.

Dominant regional insurer Highmark last week asked a judge to stop West Penn Allegheny Health System from "starting affiliation/acquisition discussions with other organizations," as it looks to preserve its crumbling $475 million deal to acquire the struggling health system.