Strategic Planning

Anthem and Cigna spent a combined $3.4 million, double the $1.2 million spent by Aetna and Humana.

HCA will sell its Oklahoma hospitals and terminate its lease of a children's hospital as other systems announced plans for an integrated network.

Affiliation will allow patients to get treatment closer to home, builds upon ongoing relationship between the two systems.

The study saw little difference in patient mortality, hospital readmissions within 30 days, lengths of stay or specialty consultant use among patients treated by the expanded PA group and those treated by the conventional group.

Microhospitals have between eight and 10 inpatient beds for observation and short stays, as well as emergency treatment and triage rooms, primary care and specialty care physicians, diagnostic and other outpatient clinic services.

The company will use a sequencing test developed by the health system to find and target individual mutations within cancer tumors.

HRI survey finds 40 percent of patients are now asking ahead for price estimates for their care and shopping around for best deals.

Merger talks are expected to continue into 2017, systems said.

Both hospital sales are expected to close in December pending regulatory approvals.

Companies will work together to develop and deploy new population health offerings by tapping each company's expertise and assets.