Leadership

The systems say they have now formally merged to create Advocate Health, forming one of America’s largest hospital systems. Analysts have said it could pave the way for more consolidations.

Making good on a threat to take legal action, Akram Boutros said his termination was improper. The board said Boutros was ousted for paying himself $1.9 million in bonuses without board approval.

UPMC selects a chief clinical information officer, BJC Healthcare hires a hospital president, and other leaders take new roles.

Around the country, children’s hospitals are at or above capacity due to high numbers of patients with respiratory viruses.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid advise health systems about their responsibilities to protect staff and patients, and the agency says it will take action against those who aren’t doing enough.

Nearly one in 10 hospitals are in danger of closing their doors, the Texas Hospital Association says. Rural hospitals are at the greatest risk, but some urban hospitals could be forced to cut services.

Health systems continue to struggle with higher expenses, including rising labor costs, according to the latest monthly report from Kaufman Hall.

Researchers found some alarming trends in firearm deaths in recent years. The study raises important questions for public health approaches to reduce gun deaths.

With more nurses leaving bedside roles, health systems need to find ways to retain skilled and experienced professionals.

Federal officials warn that individuals behind ‘Lorenz’ ransomware are targeting larger organizations, including those in the healthcare industry.

Maria Cristina Jimenez was hailed for her leadership skills. Police said her husband fatally shot her and then took his own life.

The two created fake purchase orders and then billed the Dallas VA Medical Center. They entered guilty pleas in federal court and could spend a decade in prison.

Several experts discussed ways to close disparities among disadvantaged groups during a panel at the HLTH Conference. They stressed working with communities and measuring data to see if interventions are working.

ECU Health hires its first chief nursing executive, HCA Gulf Coast appoints a new vice president, and the head of Pennsylvania's hospital association is retiring.

The California-based system says it has an agreement to sell two Chicago-area hospitals to Resilience Healthcare and Ramco Healthcare Holdings.

Dr. Akram Boutros gave himself bonuses over four years without disclosing the payments, the MetroHealth board said. An attorney for Boutros says the firing is retaliatory after he planned to expose misconduct by the board.

The two systems are creating a new organization with 11 hospitals serving patients in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Iowa.

He spoke with Chief Healthcare Executive about controlling costs, thinking about the long-term, labor shortages and what healthcare leaders should be doing.

Excela Health and Butler Health System reached an agreement to create an organization with five hospitals. They hope to gain regulatory approval by the year’s end.

More than three quarters of the nation’s pediatric hospital beds are filled. The head of the Children’s Hospital Association said the system is being stretched to the limit.

In other news, MyMichigan Health hires a chief medical officer and Northwell Health selects a director for a maternal health center.

Most chief executives are men, but women are making progress in getting to the C-suite. Mindy Kairey of Korn Ferry says more companies are looking for leaders with empathy and positivity.

Health systems have made progress, but they still have a long way to go, says Clearwater CEO Steve Cagle. Hospital executives must drive change from the top.

David Feinberg, chairman of Oracle Health, talked about Oracle’s acquisition of Cerner, the need to fix electronic health records and transforming the industry.

Founders of health tech companies can find success, but they’ll need sound business plans. Investors are doing more homework before putting money into new companies.