Missouri DHSS Issues Emergency Waiver to Assist Missourians Impacted by Severe Weather

May 22, 2025

Missouri DHSS Issues Emergency Waiver to Assist Missourians Impacted by Severe Weather

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has issued an emergency waiver to assist Missourians in need of critical prescription medications following the devastating tornadoes and sever weather that struck Missouri on May 16.

The action comes after Governor Mike Kehoe issued Executive Order 25-24 authorizing DHSS to temporarily waive or suspend any statutory or administrative rule under its purview to allow medical professionals to better assist those affected by storms.

The provisions of §195.010-195.100 and their attendant regulations and 195.060, RSMo, are partially waived to allow pharmacists to fill controlled substance prescriptions for patients in disaster-impacted areas without the presentation of a written prescription and if the pharmacist determines within his or her professional judgment that an extended supply is needed to avoid interruptions to patient care.

This will ensure that individuals whose prescriptions or prescription records were lost or destroyed, or whose original prescribing physician is unavailable, can continue to receive needed medications even if the pharmacy has not previously dispensed or refilled the prescription.

Click Here to View the Waiver

Care Coordination Article: Hackensack’s Pediatric ED Cuts Early Walk-out Rate 82%

May 22, 2025

Care Coordination Article: Hackensack’s Pediatric ED Cuts Early Walk-out Rate 82%

Hackensack University Medical Center’s pediatric emergency department has significantly reduced patient-wait times and its left-before-treatment-complete rate through a series of targeted patient-flow improvements.

In 2022, patient volumes hit a record high at the pediatric ED – part of Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center. The waiting room was routinely full, and many lower-acuity children were not getting in front of a provider in a timely manner.

After navigating a sharp spike in pediatric visits during the 2022 virus season, ED leaders conducted a deep dive into their metrics. At the time, the average door-to-provider time was 50 minutes, and the average door-to-bed time was 52 minutes. Additionally, 4.5% of patients left the ED before completing treatment.

Click Here to Read Full Article

Whitepaper: Health Systems’ Onsite Medical Supplies Distribution Playbook to Operate More Efficiently

May 22, 2025

Whitepaper: Health Systems’ Onsite Medical Supplies Distribution Playbook to Operate More Efficiently

Grappling with ineffective operations, lack of capable logistics staff and “firefighting” day-to-day supplies issues?

Learn how leading health systems overcome these challenges by partnering with external operations experts. Discover strategies to streamline your supply chain, reduce costs and deliver consistent, high-quality care.

Gain the tools to:

  • Build a business case for third-party supply chain partners,
  • Overcome workforce shortages with scalable, expert resources, and
  • Ensure seamless supply chain transitions that protect patient care.

Click Here to Download the Whitepaper

Case Study: Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) Advances Value-Based Care with New In-House Specialty Pharmacy

May 19, 2025

Case Study: Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) Advances Value-Based Care with New In-House Specialty Pharmacy

As Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) began its value-based care journey, leadership realized that improving access to specialty medication presented a major opportunity to support their patients.

Dr. Gary Zimmer, MD, FACEP, Chief Medical Office for MVHS shared, “We started asking ourselves how do we get medications to patients who need them?”

The answer was clear. MVHS decided to partner with CPS Solutions, LLC to open an in-house specialty pharmacy

With CPS, MVHS patients now have direct access to a dedicated specialty pharmacy team who helps them secure timely, affordable access to the treatments they need.

Click Here to Read the full case study

Article: Physician Burnout Dips, but Pressures Remain

May 16, 2025

Article: Physician Burnout Dips, but Pressures Remain

During the COVID-19 pandemic, physician burnout and job dissatisfaction rates reached historic highs. In the years since, burnout rates have come down – though not nearly enough to ease concerns about the nation’s physician shortage and patient access to high-quality care.

Every three years since 2011, researchers at Stanford (Calif.) Medicine have surveyed practicing physicians to track changes in burnout and well-being among the workforce. The latest edition, published April 9 in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, is based on responses from more than 7,600 physicians surveyed between late 2023 and early 2024.

Click Here to Read Article

Rural Health Research: rural and Urban Differences in Suicide in the United States

May 14, 2025

Rural Health Research: rural and Urban Differences in Suicide in the United States

National data from the National Vital Statistics System and the American Community Survey were used to explore trends across urban and rural areas. Among the key takeaways in this brief from the ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center:

  • Crude suicide rates have remained around 14.5 per 100,000 from 2018 – 2021, with rural areas consistently higher than urban areas overall and across all subgroups of interest.
  • Males have higher crude suicide rates compared to females (23.2 vs. 6.0 per 100,000).
  • Groups aged 25-34 and 45-54 in rural areas have the highest crude suicide rates (28.8 and 25.3 per 100,000, respectively).
  • Western states generally report higher crude suicide rates than other Census regions, while Northeastern and Southern states have lower rates in both urban and rural areas.

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New Case Study: Transforming Rural Healthcare Through the HRSA LGP

May 14, 2025

New Case Study: Transforming Rural Healthcare Through the HRSA LGP

In the rolling hills of southeastern Kentucky, where the lack of access to healthcare looms large and poverty rates exceed national averages, Grace Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), has emerged as an essential provider for over 45,000 patients across six counties.

This case study, prepared with support from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), describes how Grace Health leveraged the HRSA Health Center Facility Loan Guarantee Program (LGP) to overcome barriers like aging infrastructure, fragmented services, and limited access to rural healthcare to complete two capital projects that reshaped their care delivery. Grace Health CFO Chad Stevens shares his lessons learned and offer a roadmap for health centers seeking to use the HRSA LGP.

Click Here to Learn More about LGP

Click Here to Read Study

2025 Patient Impact Report: Health-System Specialty Pharmacy (HSSP)

May 14, 2025

2025 Patient Impact Report: Health-System Specialty Pharmacy (HSSP)

The fourth annual report reveals the latest Health-System Specialty Pharmacy (HSSP) clinical outcomes, benchmarks, and best practices across the country.

What’s Inside:

  • Latest clinical benchmarks and outcomes measurement strategies broken out by disease state.
  • Research findings on new and innovative patient care strategies from award-winning CPS clinical outcomes studies and journal articles.
  • Insights about how a holistic patient care approach helps address social determinants of health (SDOH).
  • New trends on rare diseases and how HSSP helps facilitate those patient journeys.
  • Real-world testimonials from patients and providers across the country that showcase high-quality care and improved outcomes within HSSP.

Click Here to Download Report

New Whitepaper: Thriving under pressure: An efficiency blueprint for mid-sized systems

May 5, 2025

New Whitepaper: Thriving under pressure: An efficiency blueprint for mid-sized systems

Mid-sized health systems are under extraordinary pressure. Tight margins, limited buying power and fierce competition for talent leave little room for error – especially as labor shortages and rising costs escalate. But some are turning these constraints into opportunities.

Eighteen months ago, Mary Lanning Healthcare struggled to manage finances and allocate resources efficiently. Since then, the rural system has transformed its budget process, reduced administrative burdens on staff and uncovered new growth opportunities. Their approach offers replicable strategies for leaders navigating similar pressures.

Readers will learn:

  • Enhancing financial transparency with technology to drive smarter decisions,
  • Strategies to control costs and unlock growth opportunities, and
  • Simplify HR operations to boost staff satisfaction.

Click Here to Download this Whitepaper

New Report: 5 Steps for Creating a Better Healthcare Breakroom to Boost Nurse Morale and Retention

April 29, 2025

New Report: 5 Steps for Creating a Better Healthcare Breakroom to Boost Nurse Morale and Retention

Seventy-three percent of nurses say a high-quality breakroom helps reduce stress and fatigue – yet approximately one in three rarely take breaks. With nurse burnout and turnover on the rise, healthcare organizations must make staff well-being a priority.

This report shares five essential steps to designing a breakroom that boosts morale, retention and productivity.

You’ll learn how to:

  • Minimize nurse burnout and turnover, as well as its costly impact on patient care,
  • Set up a functional, comfortable and restorative breakroom,
  • Build a culture that prioritizes well-being through improved breakroom engagement, and
  • Use nurse feedback to create a breakroom to create a breakroom that improves job satisfaction.

Click Here to Download Report