Alan Condon
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From Dublin to Chicago. Editor-in-Chief at @BeckersHR
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Articles by Alan Condon
Tenet shares hit all-time high of $262
Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare’s stock price closed at a record high of $262.63 on July 28, five days after posting second-quarter earnings that beat Wall Street estimates by more than 40% and prompted the system to raise its full-year outlook, according to Seeking Alpha. The stock is up roughly 32% from where it opened 2026 near $199, and about 68% above its 52-week low of $156.72, set Aug. 4, 2025. The run clears Tenet’s previous record of $218, reached Nov. 25, 2025, by about 20%.
‘These negotiations take on a whole different meaning’: Sentara seeks 6.2% hike, Anthem BCBS offers 1% cut
Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Health is seeking a 6.2% blended reimbursement increase from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia for 2027. The insurer countered with an approximately 1% decrease, according to Sentara Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Aubrey Layne Jr. The gap has pushed the organizations closer to a potential split after eight months of negotiations.
Oregon health system merger gets emergency approval: 11 things to know
The Oregon Health Authority has granted Salem (Ore.) Health Hospitals & Clinics and Stayton, Ore.-based Santiam Memorial Hospital an emergency exemption that allows their proposed affiliation to proceed without a full state healthcare market review. Eleven things to know: 1. OHA determined the transaction is urgently needed to protect patients and preserve Santiam’s solvency, according to a July 31 final determination.
CMS finalizes 2.3% hospital pay bump, mandatory joint replacement model: 9 things to know
CMS on July 31 finalized its Inpatient Prospective Payment System and Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System rule for fiscal 2027, setting a 2.3% payment increase for acute care and long-term care hospitals and locking in the first mandatory, nationwide episode-based payment model for joint replacements. “Knee, hip, and ankle replacements are important for helping seniors preserve their mobility and overall well-being,” CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, said in a July 31 news release.
Providers miss payer policy changes until revenue falls: 6 report findings
Payer policy changes that are not reflected in contracts are the leading source of revenue leakage for providers, according to a July 29 report from Trek Health in partnership with the Healthcare Financial Management Association. The report is based on a survey of 161 healthcare leaders at hospitals, health systems and other provider organizations. It examined how providers use Transparency in Coverage data in commercial payer negotiations and reimbursement strategy. Six findings: 1.
The payer policy problem draining hospital revenue: 6 things to know
Payer policy changes that are not reflected in contracts are the leading source of revenue leakage for providers, according to a July 29 report from Trek Health in partnership with the Healthcare Financial Management Association. The report is based on a survey of 161 healthcare leaders at hospitals, health systems and other provider organizations. It examined how providers use Transparency in Coverage data in commercial payer negotiations and reimbursement strategy. Six findings: 1.
Southeast Georgia Health System names VP, revenue cycle
Brunswick, Ga.-based Southeast Georgia Health System has promoted Kim Holcomb to vice president of revenue cycle. Ms. Holcomb will provide strategic leadership and oversight for the system’s revenue cycle operations, according to a July 30 news release. Her responsibilities will include supporting financial sustainability and improving the patient financial experience. She joined Southeast Georgia Health System in 2002 as a senior financial analyst and has held several leadership roles.
CMS drops 2 more final payment rules: 11 things to know
CMS finalized fiscal 2027 payment rules for inpatient rehabilitation facilities and hospices July 30, giving both settings a 2.3% payment increase. Eleven things to know: Inpatient rehabilitation facilities 1. CMS finalized a 2.3% payment increase for IRFs in fiscal 2027, down from the 2.4% increase proposed in April. The update reflects a 3.2% market basket increase reduced by a 0.9 percentage-point productivity adjustment. 2.
Federal judge denies 25 states’ bid to block Medicaid work rules
A federal judge on July 29 denied a request from 25 states and Washington, D.C., to temporarily block parts of the Trump administration’s Medicaid work requirement rule. Six things to know: 1. U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns denied the states’ motion for a preliminary injunction, finding they had not shown they were likely to suffer irreparable harm before the case is resolved. The denial was issued without prejudice, meaning the states may renew their request under certain circumstances. 2.
39% of hospitals were losing money before federal policy shifts: Report
Nearly 4 in 10 U.S. hospitals were operating at a loss before many federal policy changes expected to reduce hospital revenue and increase uncompensated care take full effect, according to a July 29 report from the Urban Institute and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In 2023, 39% of hospitals reported negative operating margins, while an equal share posted margins of at least 5%. Rural hospitals and facilities serving large numbers of Medicaid patients were more likely to operate in the red.
CMS finalizes payment rules for inpatient psychiatric, skilled nursing facilities: 12 things to know
CMS issued its fiscal year 2027 final payment rules for skilled nursing facilities and inpatient psychiatric facilities July 29. The rules update Medicare payment rates and revise quality reporting, value-based purchasing and patient assessment policies. 1. CMS finalized a 2.4% increase to skilled nursing facility prospective payment system rates for fiscal year 2027. The update reflects a 3.3% market basket increase, reduced by a 0.9 percentage point productivity adjustment.
CMS finalizes payment rules for inpatient psychiatric, skilled nursing facilities: 12 things to know
CMS issued its fiscal year 2027 final payment rules for skilled nursing facilities and inpatient psychiatric facilities July 29. The rules update Medicare payment rates and revise quality reporting, value-based purchasing and patient assessment policies. Twelve things to know: Skilled nursing facilities 1. CMS finalized a 2.4% increase to skilled nursing facility prospective payment system rates for fiscal year 2027.
Prisma to become 27-hospital system, expand deeper into Tennessee
Greenville, S.C.-based Prisma Health is poised to become a 27-hospital, multiregion health system through its proposed partnership with Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Erlanger Health. The organizations signed a nonbinding letter of intent July 22 for Erlanger, a seven-hospital system, to join Prisma.
AI billing codes spotlight nursing’s payment gap: ANA
The push to establish billing codes for AI-enabled clinical analyses is intensifying a longstanding debate over how the healthcare system values nursing work. The American Nurses Association is closely reviewing proposed federal payment policies for emerging technologies, but it cautions that several separate issues are being conflated: CPT code development, CMS reimbursement rules, and hospitals’ use of AI tools.
‘Visits and screenings are not translating into surgeries’: Systems divided on elective surgery slowdown
Deferred elective surgery was a through-line of second-quarter earnings calls at four of the country’s largest for-profit hospital operators. But their executives do not agree on what is driving the slowdown, or whether it represents lost demand at all.
Cooper University Health Care receives $100M gift: 7 things to know
George E. Norcross III is donating $100 million to Camden, N.J.-based Cooper University Health Care and MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, marking the largest philanthropic gift in the health system’s history. Seven things to know: 1. The funding will support investments in Camden and Cooper’s broader South Jersey service area, with a focus on education and community programs that create jobs, training opportunities and economic mobility. 2.
‘It can literally automate or replace work’: Inside Tenet’s AI cost strategy
Tenet Healthcare is pairing AI and automation with clinical process redesign as it works to protect hospital margins from payer mix shifts, professional fee growth and other operating pressures. Tenet, a 50-hospital system headquartered in Dallas, said its hospital segment generated $762 million in adjusted EBITDA during the second quarter of 2026, up 22% year over year. The segment’s adjusted EBITDA margin reached 18%, even as exchange revenue fell 17%.
Intermountain, AdventHealth to borrow from Henry Ford-Ascension playbook
Intermountain Health and AdventHealth are pursuing a Denver-area joint venture that closely resembles the model Henry Ford Health and Ascension used to combine certain assets and facilities in Michigan under one operating system while preserving elements of both organizations.
HCA turns physician control into competitive edge
HCA Healthcare’s acquisition of Valesco was initially a financial drag. Now, executives say the physician platform is stabilizing costs, strengthening payer negotiations and giving the company greater control over services central to hospital operations. Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA fully acquired Valesco, its former joint venture with Envision Healthcare-affiliated physician practice management company EmCare, in June 2024.
ACA fallout hits for-profit health systems harder than expected
The expiration of the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits is costing the largest for-profit health systems more than they expected, according to second-quarter earnings calls from HCA Healthcare, Community Health Systems and Tenet Healthcare. Patients who lost subsidized exchange coverage are not moving to other insurance plans. Instead, they are becoming uninsured and continuing to seek hospital care.
‘Pennies on the dollar’: CHS CEO warns self-pay surge is crushing margins
Community Health Systems’ second-quarter results are a warning to hospital leaders that rising self-pay volume is becoming a significant threat to margins. During its second-quarter earnings call on July 22, Franklin, Tenn.-based CHS outlined how a rapid rise in uninsured and self-pay volume — much of it tied to ACA exchange churn and disenrollment — is eroding revenue even as demand in some settings holds up.
Supreme Court ruling leads to $400M DOJ settlement with Alaska Native health consortium
The Justice Department has authorized a $400 million settlement with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium over contract support costs tied to federally funded healthcare programs. ANTHC sued the federal government in 2021, alleging it had not received contract support costs owed under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act.
CHS Q2 profit down 75% as hospital footprint falls to 60: 7 things to know
Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems reported an operating income of $389 million (13.8% margin) in the second quarter of 2026, down from $512 million operating gain (16.3% margin) in the second quarter of 2025. After accounting for interest and income tax expenses, CHS reported a net income of $70 million (2.5% margin) in the second quarter, a 75% drop from the $282 million net gain (9% margin) reported in the same quarter last year.
CMS proposes Medicaid provider tax rule to cut federal spending by $246B: 8 things to know
CMS on July 21 proposed sweeping changes to Medicaid provider tax policy that would replace the longstanding 6% federal threshold with state- and provider-specific limits, phase down allowable taxes in Medicaid expansion states, create a new provider tax class for payers and strengthen federal oversight of a financing mechanism used by nearly every state. The agency estimates the proposal would reduce federal spending by $246 billion from 2026 through 2035.
How UC San Diego Health created a new health system to solve its capacity crunch
When University of California San Diego Health leaders looked ahead, they saw a problem that couldn’t be solved simply by adding more patients or expanding existing programs. “We don’t have any more capacity,” UC San Diego Health CEO Patty Maysent told Becker’s. The academic health system’s flagship campuses in La Jolla and Hillcrest, Calif., are effectively full, even as demand for complex services such as cancer care, cardiovascular surgery and neurosurgery continues to climb.
Delaware expands charity care, delays hospital price caps — 3 things to know
Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer has signed three healthcare bills that will expand charity care eligibility, delay implementation of hospital price caps and temporarily block private equity firms from acquiring the state’s nonprofit hospitals, local news outlet WHYY reported July 20. The legislation, signed July 20, aims to improve healthcare affordability and access while reshaping how hospitals are reimbursed in the state.
3 decisions health systems need to make before 2027: Deloitte
Health system leaders should focus on three strategic decisions during the second half of 2026 to strengthen operations heading into 2027, according to Deloitte’s midyear healthcare outlook, published July 16.. The report argues that while hospitals continue to see strong demand, many are still battling labor shortages, supply chain pressures and uncompensated care, leaving little room for operational missteps.
Christus Health to break ground on 48th hospital, expanding its presence in New Mexico
Irving, Texas-based Christus Health will break ground July 23 on a new community hospital in Los Alamos, N.M. The 37,277-square-foot, two-story hospital will become Christus Health’s 48th hospital in the U.S., a spokesperson for the health system confirmed to Becker’s. The system operates more than 60 hospitals across Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Mexico.
New AI billing codes spark concern across nursing
The American Medical Association’s push to create new billing codes for autonomous AI is drawing concern from nursing leaders, who argue hospitals could soon be reimbursed for clinical work performed by algorithms while registered nurses remain excluded from direct payment mechanisms.
Corewell Health expands care across Southwest Michigan
Southfield, Mich.-based Corewell Health is expanding access to care across Southwest Michigan with new care centers, clinic expansions and workforce investments aimed at bringing services closer to where patients live. The initiative includes new urgent care locations, expanded primary and specialty care services and housing for medical residents to strengthen the region’s future clinical workforce, according to the health system.
‘Hospitals without an outpatient footprint will struggle’: Health systems race to build ASC networks
Hospitals are generating more revenue, but a continued migration toward outpatient care and rising operating costs are accelerating one of healthcare’s biggest strategic shifts: investment in ambulatory surgery centers. Kaufman Hall’s latest “National Hospital Flash Report” found outpatient revenue per calendar day increased 8% year over year through May, outpacing the 5% increase in inpatient revenue.
Drug costs are becoming hospitals’ fastest-growing financial threat
Drug costs are emerging as one of hospitals’ fastest-growing expense categories, outpacing labor and other nonlabor costs as organizations continue to navigate a challenging financial environment, according to Kaufman Hall’s latest “National Hospital Flash Report.” Nationally, drug expense per adjusted discharge increased 11% compared to 2023, one of the largest increases among major hospital expense categories.
‘More than a designation’: Adventist hospital transitions to critical access facility
Adventist Health Columbia Gorge in The Dalles, Ore., has officially transitioned to a critical access hospital after receiving final approval from CMS, a spokesperson for the health system confirmed to Becker’s. CMS notified the hospital July 9 that its request for critical access hospital designation had been finalized, completing a multiyear effort to align the hospital’s regulatory designation with its operational needs. “Becoming a critical access hospital is more than a designation.
Why revenue cycle centralization is making a comeback
Health systems spent years decentralizing revenue cycle operations to give hospitals, physician groups and service lines greater autonomy. Now, many of the country’s largest health systems are moving in the opposite direction.
UAMS growing statewide footprint with hospital co-management deals
Little Rock-based University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences plans to sign a co-management agreement with Mena (Ark.) Regional Health System, pending final approval from the Arkansas Department of Health. The agreement was approved July 14 by the Mena City Council and the Mena Hospital Commissioners. Under the agreement, Mena Regional will retain ownership of its assets, operations and oversight.
WVU Health to pay $4.2M settlement, overhaul drug controls after DEA probe
Morgantown, W.Va.-based West Virginia University Health System has agreed to pay $4.2 million and enter a three-year compliance agreement with the Drug Enforcement Administration to resolve allegations it violated multiple provisions of the Controlled Substances Act across dozens of registered facilities. The settlement resolves civil allegations stemming from a DEA investigation into recordkeeping, reporting and security violations that occurred between May 2017 and July 2024.
The Medicaid squeeze hospitals can’t lobby their way out of
Hospitals have spent months lobbying Congress over Medicaid. The fight that matters now is shifting away from Capitol Hill and into federal rulemaking. The Trump administration’s 2026 Unified Agenda, published July 2, outlines a series of Medicaid regulations expected over the next 18 months. Read individually, they are technical adjustments.
Aspirus Health to open 18th hospital
Wausau, Wis.-based Aspirus Health will open Aspirus Chippewa Falls Hospital and Clinic on Sept. 22, expanding access to hospital and outpatient services in a region affected by recent hospital closures. The 35,000-square-foot facility in Chippewa Falls, Wis., will provide emergency care, inpatient services, primary care, imaging, laboratory services and an on-site pharmacy.
Oregon hospital aims to fast-track merger to ‘avoid insolvency’
Stayton, Ore.-based Santiam Hospital & Clinics has warned that it faces “imminent insolvency” without expedited state approval of its proposed partnership with Salem (Ore.) Health Hospitals & Clinics, a two-hospital system.
28 independent hospitals, systems joining larger health systems
The independent hospital is becoming increasingly rare. Squeezed by thin or negative operating margins, rising labor and drug costs, and mounting payer denials, standalone community hospitals and small nonprofit systems are increasingly determining they can no longer go it alone. The result is a steady shift from independence to scale.
CMS scraps ‘fast-track’ process for certain Medicaid waivers: 6 things to know
CMS has rescinded a decade-old “fast-track” review process for certain Medicaid Section 1115 demonstration waiver extensions as the agency prepares to implement new federal budget neutrality requirements that take effect in 2027. The July 7 informational bulletin formally withdraws 2015 guidance that allowed eligible states to use an expedited review process when renewing some Section 1115 demonstrations.
WVU Health System names VP, chief managed care officer
Morgantown, W.Va.-based WVU Health System has named Rachel Tignor vice president and chief managed care officer, effective July 5. Ms. Tignor most recently served as assistant vice president of enterprise payer relations and contracting, a role in which she led payer negotiations and helped strengthen the health system’s relationships with commercial and government payers.
Cleveland Clinic expands Saturday surgeries: 6 things to know
Cleveland-based Cleveland Clinic is expanding its Saturday surgery program, adding weekend operating room availability for elective eye and orthopedic procedures at additional locations across Northeast Ohio. Six things to know: 1. Beginning this month, Cleveland Clinic’s Cole Eye Institute on its main campus will begin offering Saturday procedures.
Ron Gicca, President of Orlando Health Melbourne Hospital
In this episode, Ron Gicca, President of Orlando Health Melbourne Hospital, joins the podcast to discuss leading through change in today’s evolving healthcare landscape. He shares his Orlando Health Melbourne Hospital is managing organizational growth and rising patient volumes while maintaining high-quality care, operational excellence, and a strong focus on meeting the needs of the community.
Stephanie Hines, MBA, RN, CHCIO, CDH-E, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Valleywise Health
In this episode, Stephanie Hines, MBA, RN, CHCIO, CDH-E, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Valleywise Health, joins the podcast to discuss keeping quality at the forefront of healthcare technology and operational strategy. She shares her perspective on confronting access challenges, leveraging innovation to improve patient care, and ensuring technology investments support better outcomes for the communities Valleywise Health serves.
Kenneth Nusbacher, DMD, MHA, Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry and Assistant Chief Medical Officer for Ambulatory Dentistry at UK HealthCare
In this episode, Kenneth Nusbacher, DMD, MHA, Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry and Assistant Chief Medical Officer for Ambulatory Dentistry at UK HealthCare, joins the podcast to discuss the growing impact of student loan debt on the future dental workforce. He also shares why emphasizing the connection between oral health and overall health is essential to improving patient outcomes and advancing more integrated models of care.
Medical City Dallas names Tabitha South chief nursing executive
Medical City Dallas has named Tabitha South, DNP, RN, as its new chief nursing executive, according to a July 6 news release. Dr. South brings 28 years of nursing leadership experience to the role. She most recently served as chief nursing officer and vice president of nursing for Medical City Children’s Hospital and Medical City Women’s Hospital Dallas, both located on the same campus as Medical City Dallas.
Advancing Quality, Innovation, and Patient-Centered Care at Eisenhower Health with Dr. Eric Leroux
In this episode, Eric Leroux, MD, MBA, Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Quality Officer, Eisenhower Health, discusses how his organization is advancing quality, patient safety, and clinical innovation while preparing for the future of healthcare. Read his recent Health Affairs article here: https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/hospital-safety-grades-aren-t-keeping-up-technology-here-s-they-need-measure-next
CommonSpirit vs. Ascension: 2 turnaround strategies, compared
When Wright Lassiter III took the helm of CommonSpirit Health in August 2022, the Catholic health system was losing hundreds of millions of dollars a quarter. When Saurabh Tripathi joined Ascension as executive vice president and CFO nearly two years later, the St. Louis-based system had just posted a $3 billion operating loss for fiscal year 2023.
Trinity Health, Genesis Health, Mercy Health Network settle $4.6M overbilling case
Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health, Davenport, Iowa-based Genesis Health System and Mercy Health Network have agreed to pay more than $4.64 million to resolve allegations that Genesis overbilled the federal government for its use of the Impella heart pump device. The organizations agreed to pay the settlement after voluntarily disclosing that Genesis overused the Impella device and submitted resulting overbilling claims between April 2016 and March 2022.
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