The US Department of Veterans Affairs has restarted a project to implement Oracle electronic health records in its hospitals after the project was suspended in 2023. The new payments relate to a $300 million agreement for optimization of the electronic health records (EHR) management system and a $29 million deal for identity and access management support and enhancement, published late last year, a spokesperson said. These payments come under the original $9.99 billion deal, launched in 2018.
Behavioral health has lagged behind in the shift to value-based care, and a new paper from experts at Cigna outlines why these providers should consider making the switch along with the barriers they may face. For example, there are significant technology gaps that may hinder uptake of value-based care, according to the report. Mental health providers are often slower than hospitals in adopting new electronic health records and other tech platforms critical to these models.
A recent Health Affairs Commentary article details the evidence gaps “hindering optimal physician and advanced practice provider (APP) work organization in contemporary primary care delivery.” One of the authors recently spoke with Healthcare Innovation about the paper’s findings about the challenges involved in optimizing the roles of APPs and physicians in primary care settings.
Thirty health systems have signed on to a letter to congressional leaders urging them to pass a five-year extension for the hospital-at-home program. The CMS waiver for acute hospital care at home is set to expire March 31 without congressional action. A bill including the extension has been proposed as part of a new government spending package.
The past year was a step in the right direction for the hospital industry as outpatient revenue and below-inflation expense increases fueled a 9% year-over-year increase in 12-month operating margins. The new numbers from advisory firm Kaufman Hall run through December and reflect operating data from 1,300 hospitals nationwide as collected by Strata. Those hospitals logged a collective 4.9% median operating margin across the year and ended on a strong note with a 7.6% median operating margin for December alone.
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