After a period in which they withdrew from Affordable Care Act exchanges, insurers are showing renewed interest in those markets. And one of the industry’s main lobbying groups is also pushing for states that have yet to expand Medicaid to do so.

Children’s hospitals and health systems across the country have experienced an influx of young people coming into their emergency departments for mental health-related emergencies. Such increases add to growing concerns that the nation is now facing an epidemic within a pandemic of children with undiagnosed, unmanaged and untreated mental health disorders.

There’s been no shortage of stories about the stress that the COVID-19 pandemic put on the economy and people’s lives, but it also forced the healthcare industry to rethink processes, workflow and how to more efficiently care for patients. At Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, the pandemic spurred innovation.

From staffing woes to financial struggles, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated an already fragile environment for rural hospitals. A recent report from the Chartis Center for Rural Health suggested that 46% of rural hospitals are contending with negative operating margins.

Vaccine hesitancy continues to be one of the top challenges facing public health officials during the COVID-19 pandemic. UnityPoint Health utilizes a host of different media and messages for its effort.

The winter storms that swept through much of the country in mid-February caused a significant disruption in COVID-19 vaccination efforts. The Houston Methodist system was in the thick of it all, contending with everything from crowded emergency departments to quickly standing up a vaccination event to assist the county health department.

The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed executives to find new ways to connect with patients. Modern Healthcare’s population health reporter Steven Ross Johnson spoke with Dr. Imran Andrabi, president and CEO of ThedaCare, about how the pandemic impacted its approach to population health management.

Throughout 2020, healthcare organizations were forced to turn inward to help staff not only confront the stress related to a global pandemic, but also issues around social injustice. For Tanya Blackmon, the focus is on creating a workplace where differences are celebrated and diversity is a “strategic lever.”

Dr. Patrick Hwu became CEO of the Moffitt Cancer Center in November. Hwu spoke with Modern Healthcare Managing Editor Matthew Weinstock about his plans for Moffitt, as well as the impact of COVID-19 on cancer care.

At the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, 90% of staff have gotten their first COVID-19 vaccine. Suresh Gunasekaran, CEO of the Iowa City-based system, spoke with Modern Healthcare Managing Editor Matthew Weinstock about the vaccination efforts.