Category: Articles

Whitepaper: Observation Care – What, Why, Who, and for How Long

December 30, 2025

Whitepaper: Observation Care – What, Why, Who, and for How Long

Observation care is underused, inconsistently applied and frequently misunderstood – but it has a major role to play in reducing unnecessary inpatient admissions and controlling national health expenditures.

This whitepaper explores how properly implemented observation care can support payer-provider alignment, reduce unwarranted variation in admission decisions, and deliver financial and clinical value across the board.

Download to learn:

  • How CMS’ Twp-Midnight Rule and payer contracts should guide observation decisions,
  • Why more than 80% of admitted patients don’t get an observation trial – and why that matters, and
  • What “clinically active” care in observation really requires.

Click Here to Download Whitepaper

Whitepaper: Why Henry Ford Health Centralized Clinical Asset Management – and What Happened Next

December 30, 2025

Whitepaper: Why Henry Ford Health Centralized Clinical Asset Management – and What Happened Next

In 2024, Henry Ford Health expanded its network, prompting a strategic overhaul of its healthcare technology management (HTM) practices. Partnering with TRIMEDX, Henry Ford Health implemented a standardized and transparent approach to clinical asset management, encompassing clinical engineering, capital planning, and cybersecurity. The success of this transition was rooted in thoughtful change management, strong communication, and alignment with Henry Ford Health’s organizational values.

By centralizing inventory oversight, streamlining technician workflows, and enhancing visibility into asset performance, Henry Ford Health improved operational efficiency, financial decision-making, and staff retention—laying the foundation for long-term resilience and growth.

  • Identify common challenges healthcare organizations face when implementing new solutions and the potential consequences.
  • Understand how healthcare technology management (HTM) services play an integral role in clinical operational efficiency, capital resource management, and cybersecurity.
  • Describe the characteristics of a successful implementation for a technology-driven and labor-intensive service like clinical asset management.

Click Here to Download Whitepaper

Whitepaper: Stronger CPR Skills, Fewer Disruptions: How Trinity Health Muskegon Redefined Resuscitation Training

December 30, 2025

Whitepaper: Stronger CPR Skills, Fewer Disruptions: How Trinity Health Muskegon Redefined Resuscitation Training

Traditional CPR certification models often leave clinicians unprepared. Skills can fade just 90 days after training, and high staff turnover only undermines teamwide competency.

Trinity Health Muskegon tackled the problem head-on. After shifting to a quarterly, low-dose CPR training program, the system maintained 98% CPR competency across disciplines – even during peak pandemic surges.

This case study details the hospital’s five-year implementation of the program and reveals how frequent, feedback-driven sessions improved readiness without disrupting workflows.

Learnings include:

  • Why moving from biennial certification to quarterly training was key to reducing skill gaps,
  • The role of clinical leadership in building buy-in and sustaining compliance, and
  • How the hospital used real-time CPR performance data to boost quality and confidence.

Click Here to Download Whitepaper

New Report: Medical and Surgical Practice Playbook – 6 Steps to Reduce Infections and Staff Burnout

December 30, 2025

New Report: Medical and Surgical Practice Playbook – 6 Steps to Reduce Infections and Staff Burnout

With over 41 million flu cases every year, it’s critical for medical and surgical practices to implement infection control strategies that protect both patients and staff. This report outlines six proven ways medical practices can:

  • strengthen infection prevention,
  • reduce staff burnout,
  • streamline workflows, and
  • improve patient care – helping your practice stay efficient, resilient, and safe.

Read the report to learn how to:

  • Safeguard your team and patients from preventable infections that can cripple efficiency.
  • Reduce front office turnover (40% last year) through smarter workflows and infection prevention.
  • Ease physician burnout (reported by 45% of physicians) and reclaim valuable time.
  • Boost efficiency by cutting administrative waste and increasing physician time spent with patients (currently only 66%).
  • Enhance patient trust and satisfaction with modern infection prevention strategies that reduce risk.

Click Here to Download the Report

Whitepaper: 2025 Cyber Threat Report: Healthcare Now Accounts for 17% of Cyberattacks

December 11, 2025

Whitepaper: 2025 Cyber Threat Report: Healthcare Now Accounts for 17% of Cyberattacks

In 2024, healthcare faced more targeted cyberattacks than any year on record. Threat actors used tactics once reserved for Fortune 500 companies against small clinics diagnostic centers and regional hospitals.

The 2025 Cyber Threat Report breaks down exactly how these attacks unfolded and what leaders can do now to prepare for future attacks. This report is not just a retrospective. It’s a proactive roadmap to help teams identify, isolate and shut down today’s most dangerous threats.

Learnings include:

  • Why malicious scripts are now the top threat vector in healthcare,
  • How threat actors are bypassing defenses via outdated systems and misused tools, and
  • The shift from ransomware encryption to high-leverage extortion and data theft.

Click Here to Download Whitepaper

AHA Warns of Deepfake AI Schemes

December 11, 2025

AHA Warns of Deepfake AI Schemes

The American Hospital Association (AHA) is advising healthcare organizations to be on the lookout for deepfake AI scams aiming to deceive employees.

Cybercriminals are increasingly generating audio and video with AI to impersonate trusted individuals at hospitals and health systems, according to the December 3 news release.

“Deepfakes are used to manipulate unwitting individuals by having them click on phishing emails, provide their credentials, hire malicious remote IT workers or transfer funds to criminal accounts,” state John Riggi, AHA national advisor for cybersecurity and risk. “Constant vigilance and multilayered human verification processes are needed, especially as AI-synthetic video and audio capabilities continue to advance.”

The AHA pointed to an infographic from the FBI and American Bankers Association Foundation and a FBI public service announcement as useful resources to help prevent exploitation.

Click Here to Read the 10 Most Common Phishing Emails

Click Here to Read More About Deepfake Media Scams

Click Here to See FBI Public Service Announcement

Telehealth Policy Updates

December 11, 2025

Telehealth Policy Updates

Recent legislation authorized an extension of many of the Medicare telehealth flexibilities including waiving geographic and originating site restrictions through January 30, 2026. In support of the extensions, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a related FAQ document for calendar year 2026. To support access to care in rural communities, telehealth policies allow:

  • Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified health Centers (FQHCs) can serve as Medicare distant site providers for non-behavioral/mental telehealth services through January 30, 2026.
  • Non-behavioral/mental telehealth services in Medicare can be delivered using audio-only communication platforms through January 30, 2026, and
  • FQHCs and RHCs can permanently serve as a Medicare distant site provider for behavioral/mental telehealth services and the in-person visit requirement for mental health services furnished via communication technology to beneficiaries in their homes is not required through January 1, 2026.

Click Here to see FAQ document for calendar year 2026

Visit Tehealth.HHS.gov for FAQs on telehealth policies for RHCs and FQHCs.

Final Outpatient Hospital Payment Rule Released, Effective January 1

December 11, 2025

Final Outpatient Hospital Payment Rule Released, Effective January 1

In November, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued updates to Medicare payment policies and rates for hospital outpatient services under the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) for calendar year (CY) 2026.

In addition to finalizing the payment rates, this year’s rule includes an update to the methodology used to calculate the Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating to emphasize the Safety of Care measure group in hospitals’ star ratings. It finalizes a new payment for drug administration services provided in off-campus outpatient departments, eliminates the ‘inpatient only’ list, changes the hospital price transparency requirements, and changes to the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) and Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) programs.

CMS is not finalizing their proposal to increase the annual offset amount for non-drug items and services per the 340B Remedy Rule at this time.  CMS anticipates finalizing a larger reduction (such as 2 percent or other reduction greater than 0.5 percent) beginning in CY 2027; CMS will instead implement the previously finalized 0.5 percent reduction for CY 2026.

Click Here to Read More

Rural Health Research Alert: Rural-Urban Differences in Barriers to Care and Utilization of Preventive Care Among Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries

December 11, 2025

Rural Health Research Alert: Rural-Urban Differences in Barriers to Care and Utilization of Preventive Care Among Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries

This policy brief examined rural and urban differences in barriers to care and use of preventive care services among enrollees in traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey data was used to examine barriers to care, such as flu shots and cholesterol tests, comparing rural and urban Medicare Advantage enrollees, rural and urban traditional Medicare enrollees, and rural traditional and Medicare Advantage enrollees.

Key Findings:

  • Rural Medicare Advantage enrollees faced more barriers in accessing health services due to cost, compared to their urban counterparts and to all traditional Medicare enrollees, urban and rural.
  • A lower proportion of rural enrollees in both traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage received a flu shot compared to their urban counterparts.
  • Female traditional Medicare enrollees living in rural areas were the least likely to utilize health care services compared to both their urban counterparts and Medicare Advantage enrollees.

Click Here to Read Full Brief

Rural Health Research Alert: Availability of Higher-Level Neonatal Care Services in Rural U.S. Counties, 2010-2022

December 11, 2025

Rural Health Research Alert: Availability of Higher-Level Neonatal Care Services in Rural U.S. Counties, 2010-2022

Infant mortality is elevated in rural, compared with urban, communities. Neonatal health care includes basic well-infant/level 1 services, available at health care facilities that offer childbirth services, as well as higher-level care (neonatal intermediate and intensive care services, at level II or higher).

Access to higher-level neonatal care can be lifesaving for infants with high acuity clinical needs, and access to childbirth-related care has been declining in rural communities.

The purpose of this policy brief is to show the changes in the availability of higher-level neonatal care in rural United States (U.S.) counties from 2010 to 2022, and how this availability differs by rural county type (micropolitan vs. noncore).

Key Findings:

  • Researchers examined availability of higher-level neonatal care (intermediate level II or intensive level III or IV care) at short-term acute care hospitals in rural counties of the U.S., including all hospitals not involved in mergers between 2010 and 2022.
  • In the U.S., availability of any higher-level neonatal care declined from 2010-2022 in rural counties. Overall, 7.5% of rural counties (147/1958) had higher-level neonatal care in 2010, and 6.9% of rural counties (136/1958) had this care in 2022. In 2022, 93.1% of rural counties (1822/1958) had no higher-level neonatal care.
  • Among rural counties, researchers distinguished between noncore and micropolitan counties. Among noncore counties, the percentage with higher-level neonatal care declined from 2.1% (27/1300) in 2010 to 1.2% (16/1300) in 2022. In 2010, 18.2% of micropolitan counties (120/658) had higher-level neonatal care, remaining similar in 2022 (18.2%; 120/658).
  • Only about 1% of noncore rural counties had higher-level neonatal care availability in 2022; 20 of the 27 noncore counties that had higher-level neonatal care in 2010 lost this service by 2022.

Click Here to Read Full Brief