R1 RCM reported revenues of $627.9 million in the second quarter, up $67.2 million (12%) over the same period last year, according to financial results published Aug. 7. The revenue cycle management company posted $29.1 million in operating income for the period, compared to $23.9 million in the same quarter in 2023. Net loss for the second quarter was $7.6 million, compared to a $1 million net loss in the prior-year period.

R1 RCM Q2 revenue jumps 12% ahead of planned $8.9B deal

R1 RCM expects the Ascension ransomware attack to drag down its revenue by between $75 million and $95 million in 2024, primarily because of a delay in timing of revenue from the second half of 2024 into the first half of 2025, executives said Aug. 7 during the company's second-quarter earnings call.

R1 RCM absorbs increased costs from Ascension IT outage, says CFO

Florida State

Writers represent independent, third-party users who have joined our contributor program and self-verified their accounts. Writers are expected, like all users, to adhere to our Community Standards.

writer

Akeena

Red Lobster, the popular seafood chain, has confirmed additional closures in Florida, adding to its recent wave of shutdowns following the company’s bankruptcy filing in May. The latest round of closures includes two more Florida locations, highlighting the ongoing struggles of the iconic restaurant chain.

Popular seafood chain announces more closures in Florida

Massachusetts State

When Dallas-based Steward Health Care shared plans to close two of its Massachusetts hospitals and lay off 1,243 employees, its CEO, Ralph de la Torre, MD, was in France at Versailles for the equestrian 2024 Olympic events, according to the Boston Globe. The Aug. 7 opinion piece, authored by former...

Eyes stay on Steward CEO amid France trip

Missouri State

CJ Coombs

Denny's was once a staple of the American diner landscape. In recent years, it has had its ups and downs, especially post-pandemic. The dining habits of people also change. Some customers have a more discerning taste.

Denny's: a legacy of serving customers for over 65 years including 27 locations in Missouri

The FDA has approved the first nasal spray to treat anaphylaxis. The epinephrine nasal spray, called neffy, is for emergency treatment of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, in adult and pediatric patients weighing approximately 66 pounds or more, according to an Aug. 9 news release from the agency. The approval is...

FDA approves 1st anaphylaxis nasal spray

Arkansas State

Little Rock, AR

Jay Quebedeaux was promoted to president of regional hospitals for Little Rock, Ark.-based Baptist Health. In his new role, Mr. Quebedeaux will be responsible for five Baptist Health regional facilities, according to an Aug. 8 news release shared with Becker's. He will also remain president of Baptist Health Medical Center-Hot...

Baptist Health taps president of 5 Arkansas hospitals

Valrico, FL

Hey there, Floridians! If you're a fan of fresh produce and a farmer's market vibe, you might have some mixed feelings about the news from Valrico. The Fresh Market, known for its focus on organic options and quality meats and cheeses, is set to close its doors in the Lithia Crossings shopping center.

Grocery chain known for Organic options and quality meats is set to close its doors in Florida

Walgreens shared in an Aug. 7 Securities and Exchange Commission filing that it could sell off its entire stake in primary care clinic chain VillageMD. "The company is currently evaluating a variety of options with respect to VillageMD in light of ongoing investments by the company in VillageMD’s businesses and VillageMD’s substantial ongoing and expected future cash requirement," the filing said. "These options could include a sale of all or part of the VillageMD businesses, possible restructuring options and other strategic opportunities."

Walgreens eyes offloading all of VillageMD

Kansas State

Pittsburg, KS

Drew Talbott, president of Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kan., will retire Aug. 30, one day before the hospital transitions to ownership by St. Louis-based Mercy. Mr. Talbott joined Via Christi in 1996 and has been president for four years, according to an Aug. 6 news release shared with Becker's by St. Louis-based Ascension. He was previously its COO for 13 years.

Ascension Kansas hospital president to retire

This year has recorded numerous medical advances in transplantation, including a few firsts for the U.S. and world. Here are recent medical advancements, as reported by Becker's:. 1. Clinicians at Northwestern Medicine have performed multiple first procedures. In May and July, the Chicago-based system logged its first two kidney transplants...

2024 charts multiple 1sts in transplantation

Round Rock, TX

JW Newman was named CEO of St. David's Round Rock (Texas) Medical Center, a 209-bed facility and level 2 trauma center. Mr. Newman will transition to his new role on Aug. 12, according to a hospital news release shared with Becker's. He joins St. David's Round Rock from TriStar Centennial...

Texas hospital names CEO

Ohio State

Contributors represent independent, third-party users who have joined our contributor program and self-verified their accounts. They have also demonstrated their experience writing hard news for other outlets. Contributors are expected, like all users, to adhere to our Community Standards.

contributor

The Lantern

On Tuesday, licensed Ohio dispensaries began legally selling non-medical marijuana to consumers; however, the drug’s possession, growth and/or usage are still prohibited on Ohio State’s campus. Credit: Jefferee Woo/Tampa Bay Times/TNS [Original caption: Four citizen-led petitions with proposals to update Dallas’ charter hit the 20,000 valid signature threshold to make it on the Nov. 5 election ballot, including one that would ban police officers from arresting or citing people carrying less than four ounces of marijuana.] As of Tuesday, students 21 and older can now legally purchase marijuana in Ohio.

Dispensary sales of recreational marijuana began Tuesday; possession and usage still prohibited on Ohio State’s campus

Heart disease and cancer remained the leading causes of death in 2023, according to provisional data released Aug. 8 by the CDC. Mortality data is collected by the National Center for Health Statistics National Vital Statistics System from U.S. death certificates, according to an analysis published Aug. 8 in JAMA.

Heart disease, cancer remain leading causes of death in US

Premature babies born at 22 weeks are a "gray zone" for hospitals, which must decide whether or not to offer treatment, The Wall Street Journal reported Aug. 7. There is general consensus that babies born at 25 or 26 weeks can and should be treated, and those born at 20 weeks or less are too small to save, but in between is a "gray zone." About 8,000 infants are born between 22 and 24 weeks gestation in the U.S. each year and most can only be treated at level 3 or 4 NICUs.

Extremely premature babies a gray zone for hospitals: WSJ

Large health systems publicly reported billions in profits for the first half of 2024 and Kaufman Hall data shows a strong uptick in year over year hospital margins. Average operating margins reached nearly 5% in January, up from 2.7% in the previous month, and have hovered between 4.4% and 4.1% since then.

The truth about hospital profitability

North Carolina State

Community Voices represent independent, third-party users who have joined our contributor program but not yet verified their accounts. Community Voices are expected, like all users, to adhere to our Community Standards.

community_voice

Town Talks

A recent social media update from Cherokee, the site of North Carolina's first and only cannabis dispensary, announced that adult-use recreational marijuana is coming soon. The Aug. 1 post is a landmark occasion. The Great Smoky Cannabis Co., run by Qualla Enterprises backed by the Eastern Band of Cherokee, will become the first N.C. recreational marijuana dispensary to fully open to adults over the age of 21.

Will recreational marijuana be legal in NC? What to know after Cherokee approved sales

As the Medicare Advantage landscape evolves, the success of health systems hinges on their ability to adapt and excel in key areas such as star ratings and appropriate coding. Health systems' greatest opportunity is to enter into full-risk arrangements with health plans, shifting the focus from managing illness to maintaining wellness. However, many systems have not made the necessary investments to thrive in this value-based care model, often missing out on its potential benefits and driving ambivalence toward the MA program, according to SCAN Group CEO Sachin Jain, MD.

Where health systems are going wrong with Medicare Advantage

A more severe strain of mpox is circulating in Central Africa, the CDC said in an Aug. 7 outbreak alert. The agency is advising clinicians to consider mpox as a possible diagnosis for patients who have recently been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or its neighboring countries. The country is seeing its most widespread outbreak ever, the CDC said, amid high case rates of clade I mpox.

CDC alerts clinicians to watch for more severe mpox strain

Nashville, TN

Nashville, Tenn.-based Ascension Saint Thomas is introducing an AI-powered administrative assistant to its second- and third-year internal medicine residents. The health system will allow residents to use Suki, the AI healthcare assistant, to help with documentation burdens. Additionally, Saint Thomas is expanding Suki's availability to more than 700 clinicians. The...

Ascension hospital rolls out AI to residents

NewsBreak

PeaceHealth operating margin improves by 4.6% — but still in the red

Vancouver, Wash.-based PeaceHealth reported a $95.6 million operating loss (-2.7% margin) for the fiscal year ended June 30, compared to a $240.7 million loss (-7.3% margin)...

PeaceHealth operating margin improves by 4.6% — but still in the red

Comments / 0