The U.S. healthcare system is constantly evolving – for instance, in the past two years, in a wave of mergers and acquisitions, hospital chains and insurance companies have acquired urgent-care centers, and there is a nationwide spread of urgent care facilities as a result of health systems partnering with independent urgent-care operators.

As technology evolves and advances, the role and importance of telehealth expands with it. Telehealth, often referred to as telemedicine, can improve patient satisfaction and provide access to specialized care that is currently nonexistent in some hospitals.

The use of ransomware, which attacks medical technology and electronic health records, could result in significant service disruptions, adverse events, and liability – yet many organizations are woefully underprepared.

The healthcare industry is currently in an era of intense reform, and as healthcare providers fall under heightened pressure to achieve performance goals, improve quality and safety, do more with fewer resources and concurrently improve patient satisfaction, how can leaders ensure physician engagement and alignment with organizational goals?

The digital age of healthcare lives within electronic health records. The data they contain drives everything in the industry today and proponents of the movement believe EHRs are destined to become the lifeblood of patient care.