Becker's Healthcare January 16, 2024
Across the United States, healthcare systems and hospitals face extraordinary pressure to provide affordable care. As 2022 and 2023 progressed after the pandemic, hospital leaders faced an opaque climate around the sustainability of care delivery because of healthcare inflation, staffing challenges and salary increases, all of which continued to pressure operating margins. Despite these headwinds the demand for hospital services continues to increase, although the staffing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic linger—exacerbated by healthcare workers burnout and departures, hospital closures, hospital acquisitions by private equity firms, and consolidations.
In addition, while hospitals have made significant strides to improve the quality and safety of the care they deliver, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that on any given day,...