Rural Health

William Bee Ririe CEO: federal funds for upgrades, long-term care under review

William Bee Ririe Hospital in Eureka County is financially stable and preparing to use new federal funding for facility upgrades, CEO Matt Walker said in an interview with The Eureka Sentinel. The hospital will benefit from Nevada's share of federal Rural Health Transformation Funds under the "Big Beautiful Bill," which allocates $50 billion nationally over five years. The money will cover upgraded medical tools, specialized capital equipment, a new hospital roof, and IT servers expected to support clinical operations for 7 to 10 years.

The Desk - Jordan Leahy · August 16, 2026

Rural Health

McKenzie Health System's Peace of Mind Clinic expands rural behavioral health access

McKenzie Health System launched the Peace of Mind Clinic in 2024 to expand access to behavioral health services in rural Sanilac County, where residents previously had limited access to psychiatric care, according to the Michigan Health & Hospital Association.

The Desk - Jordan Leahy · August 7, 2026

Hospitals

Mount Sinai gets cease-and-desist from EmblemHealth over new-patient policy

EmblemHealth sent Mount Sinai Health System's independent practice association a cease-and-desist letter over the New York City system's decision to stop accepting new patients from some of the insurer's government-backed plans, Becker's Hospital Review reported Aug. 20.

The Desk - Jordan Leahy · August 21, 2026

Hospitals

Providence Health Plan to shut down after Medicare Advantage deal collapses

Providence Health Plan will close completely after a proposed transaction with an unnamed national insurer fell through, according to Healthcare Dive. The regional health plan had been in talks to keep its Medicare Advantage plans operating, but the agreement failed "despite significant effort on all sides," a Providence spokesperson said.

The Desk - Jordan Leahy · August 21, 2026

Hospitals

NGMC Braselton opens expanded emergency department after ribbon-cutting

Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton marked the expansion of its Emergency Department with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony, joined by local Chamber of Commerce partners and hospital staff, according to Northeast Georgia Health System.

The Desk - Jordan Leahy · August 17, 2026

Vendors

OhioGuidestone selects Streamline Healthcare's SmartCare EHR platform

OhioGuidestone has selected Streamline Healthcare Solutions and its SmartCare platform as its new electronic health record system, according to a statement from Brant Russell. The announcement was published Aug. 15, 2026.

The Desk - Jordan Leahy · August 17, 2026

Vendors

Atlantic Health, K Health Launch EHR-Integrated PatientGPT in MyChart

Atlantic Health System has partnered with K Health to launch Atlantic Health PatientGPT and Atlantic Health Virtual Primary Care, described as New Jersey's first EHR-integrated AI digital front door. The platform is embedded directly into Atlantic Health's Epic MyChart portal and uses individual patient medical records to provide personalized health guidance, according to HIT Consultant.

The Desk - Jordan Leahy · August 13, 2026

Vendors

Presbyterian Santa Fe plans $6M cardiac cath lab opening July 2027

Presbyterian Santa Fe Medical Center is planning a $6 million cardiac catheterization lab, slated to open in July 2027, according to Searchlight New Mexico. The facility will offer diagnostic services and round-the-clock emergency treatment, aiming to eliminate patient transfers for severe heart attacks in Northern New Mexico, where heart disease is the leading cause of death.

The Desk - Jordan Leahy · August 13, 2026

Funding & M&A

Cityblock Health to acquire Homeward; General Catalyst leads $116M Series E

Cityblock Health is acquiring Homeward, according to an announcement from General Catalyst Group Management, LLC. General Catalyst, which has backed both companies, said it is leading a $116M Series E for Cityblock Health to support scaling proactive, affordable, and accessible care.

The Desk - Jordan Leahy · August 21, 2026

Funding & M&A

Sofinnova Adds Dr. Maha Radhakrishnan as Executive Partner

Sofinnova Investments announced on August 19, 2026, that Dr. Maha Radhakrishnan has joined the firm as an Executive Partner. The appointment was disclosed in a company announcement.

The Desk - Jordan Leahy · August 20, 2026

Funding & M&A

EnableComp Acquires Helix Advisory to Expand AI Zero Balance Reviews

Complex revenue cycle management (RCM) leader EnableComp has acquired Cincinnati-based revenue recovery firm Helix Advisory, according to HIT Consultant. The deal expands EnableComp's Zero Balance Review capabilities by integrating underpayment recovery directly into its e360 RCM platform, which is used for complex claims and denials.

The Desk - Jordan Leahy · August 13, 2026

Technology

Franciscan, Brown Health expand Microsoft agentic AI tools

Mishawaka, Ind.-based Franciscan Health and Providence, R.I.-based Brown University Health have expanded their use of Microsoft's agentic AI platform, according to an Aug. 11 Microsoft blog post reported by Becker's Hospital Review.

The Desk - Jordan Leahy · August 13, 2026

Policy

Welch Community Hospital's future clouded by privatization push, CAH questions

Welch Community Hospital faces an uncertain future as West Virginia Del. David Green (R-McDowell) advocates for privatization and a federal Critical Access Hospital (CAH) designation, according to Black By God. Green has publicly argued the designation would help the rural facility, citing a similar hospital in southern West Virginia that has operated profitably for nearly 15 years.

The Desk - Jordan Leahy · August 13, 2026