Despite patient safety efforts, adverse events in hospitals still common, study shows
Can hospitals advance patient safety in a profit-driven system? A recent study identifies persistent rates of adverse events in hospitals. More
How do we desegregate the hospital system?
A new series of articles on healthcare segregation provides a call to action and a way forward for all actors in the healthcare system looking to improve racial and economic equity More
PRESS RELEASE: Healthcare’s biggest baddies named and blamed in 2022 Shkreli Awards
From massive insurance fraud to a dentist that intentionally broke patients’ teeth, here are this year’s worst examples of greed and dysfunction in healthcare. More
Hospital policies that exacerbate the staffing crisis
While the pandemic was a breaking point for many healthcare workers, some hospital systems were cutting staff well before 2020... More
Price transparency comes to the insurance market…but there’s a catch
Insurers are required to publish their negotiated prices for all services. The problem is, there's too much data... More
Where have all the nurses gone?
After enduring years of stressful and heartbreaking work through the Covid-19 pandemic, healthcare workers are quitting in droves. What can we do about the healthcare staffing crisis? More
The “S” in ESG: How hospitals are embracing social responsibility
Which hospitals are walking the talk on social responsibility? A new feature in Frontiers of Health Services Management showcases the Lown Index and winning hospitals. More
What we lose when we approve unproven drugs
From approval to withdrawal, the story of Makena shows some of the major pitfalls of the FDA's drug approval process. More
Five ways hospitals harm patients that need to stop now
These five events are the administrative equivalent of operating on the wrong limb... More
Balancing hope and uncertainty: The controversy behind the new ALS drug
The reasoning behind this decision has to do with a complex bioethical question - if there is the potential to treat a previously untreatable disease with a new pharmaceutical, but the consequences are unknown, do you prescribe the drug? Is the unknown enough to deny patients hope? More
Imaging overuse: What care cascades may cost you
Two recent studies show the high cost patients face from unnecessary imaging and follow up events. More
Real-world test of colonoscopy screening program shows cancer reduction but no mortality benefit
How can mortality be reduced by colonoscopies but not by a colonoscopy screening program? We break down the results from the groundbreaking NordICC trial. More
Financial assistance policies: The good, the bad, and the bizarre
A recent study of hospital financial assistance policies shows how some policies became more generous after Covid-19, some became more restrictive, and some just got weird... More
When nonprofit hospitals start acting like for-profits
Through our work with the Lown Institute Hospitals Index, we’ve seen how socially responsible hospitals can be. These top hospitals prioritize equity, while maintaining excellent patient outcomes and avoiding overuse. But not all hospitals have performed well on social responsibility. In fact, the New York Times recently highlighted two nonprofit hospital systems that have gone against their social mission and put profits over patients fair share spending was featured in these articles. Here’s a breakdown of what the Times uncovered. More
Water crisis turned mental health crisis: new research on mental health in Flint, MI
New research is out on the long-term mental health toll of the Flint water crisis on its residents. What can we learn, and how can we do better? More
Why is one of Georgia’s most inclusive hospitals closing?
Atlanta has one of the most racially segregated hospital markets in the US. What happens when one of the only hospitals serving communities of color closes? More
Climate Equity is Health Equity
Water contamination, emissions, and plastic pollution all pose immense public health risk. What can hospitals do right now to help? More
Why antitrust laws aren’t stopping some hospital mergers
One job of the FTC is to prevent mergers that create hospital monopolies, but a type of state law has allowed hospitals to sidestep federal regulation and avoid competition. More
One million missing: America’s crisis of early death
Despite the fact that the US is the richest country in the world, it's also one of the least healthy. How many deaths could have been avoided if the US had a similar mortality rate as other wealthy countries? More
Hospitals serving more Black patients are at a financial disadvantage, study finds
The most inclusive hospitals for Black Medicare patients get nearly $500 less in patients revenue per day than other hospitals, making it more difficult for these hospitals to improve quality and putting them at risk of closure. More