Registered nurses working on the West Coast earn higher hourly wages than RNs in other regions, according to Springboard's "2023 Wage Report," which compiled data between March and April 2024. 

A study published in April in The American Journal of Managed Care  found that procedures performed in the HOPD setting cost significantly more than those performed in ASCs, despite no evidence of better quality of care. 

Here are three recent updates on CVS Health, as reported by Becker's:

Declining reimbursements in the face of soaring inflation and an increased demand for healthcare is a frustrating, but familiar, scenario for many ASC leaders and physicians. 

By the end of 2024, the U.S. is predicted to see a physician shortage of 64,000, according to research from McKinsey & Company, published Sept. 10. 

Here are five controversies involving ASC closures, lawsuits or false claims allegations that Becker's has reported on since Aug. 23:

Keith Dunleavy, MD, is the youngest physician billionaire, according to Forbes' 2024 World's Billionaires list.

Chicago-based Oak Street Health, owned by CVS Health since 2023, agreed to pay $60 million to settle allegations that it was involved in a kickback scheme that violated the False Claims Act. 

The quarterly "ASC Quality Collaboration Report" highlights safety benchmarks at ASCs nationwide, tracking patient safety metrics such as fall rates, burn rates and more. 

Rhode Island was ranked as the top state for healthcare in 2024, earning a score of 100 from MoneyGeek.

HHS is expected to issue a final rule amending aspects of HIPAA later this year, and Bellinger Moody, chief compliance officer of Coronis Health, laid out the key aspects to know in a Sept. 4 blog post.

Physician-owned hospitals have garnered growing attention as rural healthcare access faces worsening shortages and critical gaps in services.

CommonSpirit Vascular Surgery Penrose, a clinic located inside Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colo., was forced to close after an "abrupt departure of all medical providers," The Denver Gazette reported Sept. 18. 

Medical education debt is growing, and some physician leaders feel physician pay isn't growing fast enough to account for rising debt paired with rising practice costs.

The New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners has revoked the license of a Cedar Grove, N.J.-based physician who is accused of traveling to dozens of offices to perform invasive aesthetic procedures with inadequate training.

A new medical office building at the Sentara Albemarle Regional Health Campus in Elizabeth City, N.C., is only 45% occupied by medical practices, according to a Sept. 17 report from the Daily Advance.

Here are two recent certificate-of-need applications that were first denied and later awarded on appeal:

International medical graduates who come to the U.S. for residencies primarily do so via J-1 visas. Physicians who enter the U.S. on a J-1 visa must return to their home country for two years before applying for H-1B visa status or permanent residency. 

Siouxland Surgery Center, doing business as Dakota Dunes, S.D.-based Dunes Surgical Hospital, United Surgical Partners International and USP Siouxland, agreed to pay about $12.76 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations.

Over half of physicians are concerned about ethical dilemmas when it comes to implementing artificial intelligence in the medical field, according to Medscape's 2024 "Hot Topics in the Medical Profession Report," published Sept. 18.