Hospital operating margins are trending upward as hospitals begin to bounce back from the Covid-19 pandemic, according to consulting firm Kaufman Hall’s latest National Hospital Flash Report.

The median hospital margin was 3.3% in October, which is just behind the most recent highest figure of 4.4% in June followed by 3.5% in August. These numbers are up from -1.3%, according to the report, which used data from more than 1,300 US hospitals.

In addition to improved margins, Kaufman Hall analysts found that hospital emergency department visits declined in October 2023 compared to the previous month.

The decline “likely reflects the shift in patient behavior to outpatient care,” Erik Swanson, SVP of data and analytics at Kaufman Hall, wrote in the report.

Keep reading here.—MA

Do you work in healthcare or have information about the industry that we should know? Email Maia at [email protected]. For confidential conversations, ask Maia for her number on Signal.

You don’t need tea leaves or a crystal ball: Get a glimpse into the future of healthcare on social with Hootsuite instead.

For the first time ever, Hootsuite has made a special edition of their annual Social Media Trends report just for marketers in healthcare. The report is jam-packed with insights, industry inspo, and tips on how to be a social media innovator in 2024.

Want a preview of the findings? Hootsuite found that healthcare orgs are planning to increase AI use for patient service by 422% (not a typo) in 2024.

Hootsuite’s trends are based on surveys of marketers and consumers, analysis of news articles and social media posts, and in-depth research. Learn what healthcare’s strongest and shakiest social platforms are and how entertainment can boost the bottom line.

Download Hootsuite’s Social Media Trends report.

The green-eyed monster has reared its ugly head again. Healthcare Brew compiled its jealousy list for 2023, highlighting the stories we’re disappointed we didn’t get to write. We hope you take the time to read the great work of our colleagues!

Amanda’s pick:

A famed hospital churns poor patients through weight loss surgery by Jessica Silver-Greenberg, Sarah Kliff, and Aimee Ortiz, published December 7 in the New York Times

Earnestness alert: There’s nothing I love more than reading a deeply investigated piece and trying to pick apart how the reporters got the story together. From the jump, it’s evident that these reporters spoke to *a lot* of people to paint the picture of how a hospital system—one that’s historically struggled with fiscal solvency—has gotten into the big business of bariatric surgery.

Keep reading here.—AE, SY, MA

Do you work in healthcare or have information about the industry that we should know? Email Amanda at [email protected]. For confidential conversations, ask Amanda for her number on Signal.

On Fridays, we schedule our rounds with Healthcare Brew readers. Want to be featured in an upcoming edition? Click here to introduce yourself.

This week’s Making Rounds spotlights Doug Hirsch, the co-founder and chief mission officer of GoodRx, which helps patients access drug discounts and save money on prescriptions.

Hirsch spoke with Healthcare Brew about how GoodRx views companies like Amazon and Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs Company—both of which are looking to shape up the prescription drug savings sector. He also discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) could affect the future of healthcare.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Tell me about yourself and your work at GoodRx.

We started the company way back in 2011 and continue to champion the company to anybody who will listen. Our core mission is helping people find the care that they deserve, and getting affordable and convenient healthcare to all Americans.

Keep reading here.—SY

Do you work in healthcare or have information about the industry that we should know? Email Shannon at [email protected]. For confidential conversations, ask Shannon for her number on Signal.

Today’s top healthcare reads.

Stat: The CDC found that 57% of high school girls in the US felt “persistently sad or helpless.” One New York school’s cellphone ban may be helping to improve student mental health. (CBS News)

Quote: “Let’s call this for what it is—it simply is a rip off. They’re ripping off Medicare. They’re ripping off the American people. We’re now fighting back.”—Joe Biden, president of the United States, on new policies that could help older adults pay less for some outpatient drug treatments starting next year (the Associated Press)

Read: “Unconscious bias” in the medical field has reportedly led to Black women experiencing worse maternal and infant outcomes. (the New York Times)

New meds in town: With obesity levels on the rise, weight management drugs are top of mind. We partnered with CVS Caremark to understand how GLP-1s are changing the game—and how plan sponsors can keep pharmacy costs down and improve outcomes. Here’s what we learned.*

^{*A message from our sponsor.}