Hospital Safety And Quality Are Ticking Upward After Covid: Report

Modern Healthcare: Hospital Safety, Quality Rebounds Post-Pandemic: AHA, Vizient
Health systems have a lower risk of patient mortality, fewer hospital acquired infections, and are performing more cancer screenings in 2024 than prior to the pandemic, according to a new report from the American Hospital Association and Vizient, a group purchasing and consulting organization. The study, which uses data from Vizient’s clinical database, found that acute care hospitals have made significant improvements on their safety and quality measure performance over the past several years — despite dealing with sicker, more complex patient populations. (Devereaux, 9/12)

More health industry news —

Modern Healthcare: Steward Health Facilities In Arizona To Be Run By HonorHealth
HonorHealth will assume operations of several Steward Health Care facilities in Arizona as a Senate committee weighs whether to hold Steward CEO Dr. Ralph de la Torre in contempt. The Scottsdale, Arizona-based health system agreed to operate the locations during an interim transition period starting Wednesday. It anticipates taking full operational ownership in October, pending regulatory approval, a spokesperson for HonorHealth said. (DeSilva, 9/12)

The Boston Globe: Steward Health Care CEO Ralph De La Torre A No-Show At DC Hearing
Lawmakers in Washington, D.C., moved to punish Steward Health Care chief executive Ralph de la Torre on Thursday after he skipped a Senate hearing on the struggles of his bankrupt hospital chain. At the same time, a bipartisan chorus of senators signaled support for legislation to prevent a repeat of the Steward collapse at another health care system. Senators had hoped to grill de la Torre at a high-profile hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee in the Capitol, but had to make do verbally attacking an empty chair. (Pressman and Kopan, 9/12)

Modern Healthcare: Urgent Care Group CityMD Expands Into Connecticut
Urgent care company CityMD, which operates in two Northeastern states, is expanding into Connecticut. CityMD will open a location in Norwalk on Sept. 30, followed by another site in Fairfield next year, according to a Thursday news release. (Hudson, 9/12)

Crain's Detroit Business: Henry Ford Health Breaks Ground On New $2.2B Hospital Tower
One hundred and twelve years after Henry Ford broke ground for a new hospital on the then outskirts of the city of Detroit, the region’s largest health system broke ground again for a new hospital tower. Henry Ford Heath and community leaders celebrated the groundbreaking Thursday for the $2.2 billion tower set to open in the city in 2029. (Walsh, 9/12)

Houston Chronicle: Texas Children's Hospital's Longtime CEO, Mark Wallace, Retires
Mark Wallace, who served as Texas Children’s Hospital’s top executive for more than three decades and helped build the system into a dominant force in pediatric care, announced his retirement Thursday. His last day is Oct. 4. Debra Feigin Sukin, who replaced Wallace as president last year while the latter remained CEO, will step into Wallace’s role. In a news release, Wallace said he had been mulling his retirement since Sukin’s appointment and was “happy with how everything has fallen into place.” (Gill and MacDonald, 9/12)

Modern Healthcare: What California's AI Bills Mean For Digital Health Startups
Multiple bills in California targeting artificial intelligence could have significant implications for providers and digital health companies operating in and out of the state. The three bills, all of which passed the state's Assembly and Senate earlier this year, have not yet been signed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The bills would require providers to disclose when AI is used for patient communication, instruct organizations to test models for bias and provide a structure on how developers may be held liable for harm. (Turner, 9/12)