Chris Nerney

A new report by the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association paints a grim picture of the daunting financial challenges facing hospitals and other healthcare organizations in that state.

Hospitals and health systems try their best to anticipate and meet the demand for specific drugs. But drug shortages - whether due to outbreaks of specific illnesses or unanticipated supply bottlenecks - are a fact of life in the medical world.

Home health agencies can help hospitals reduce readmissions and control overall healthcare costs, according to a new study, but how effective these agencies are in meeting such goals largely depends on the quality of organizational support given to healthcare field workers.

New research suggests that socioeconomic factors can account for most of the geographical variation in Medicare spending. As a result, larger socio-demographic issues must be considered when assessing the quality of care offered by healthcare providers.

For U.S. community health centers, the recent announcement of $295 million in Affordable Care Act funding was welcome news. But the five-year period of mandatory ACA funding expires next September, meaning CHCs face a reduction of up to 70 percent in grant funding.

New research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Premier, Inc., concludes that the inappropriate use of antibiotics in U.S. hospitals could result in an estimated $163 million in excessive costs.

The value-based model of healthcare is gradually transitioning from the pilot phase to implementation, as health insurers and providers strive to offer better care while eliminating unnecessary costs. But for providers who have always been paid fee-for-service, it is a different way of thinking.