An Eastern Oklahoma Medical Center has reduced its total cost of property and casualty insurance by 23% over the past decade, generating an estimated $2.5 million in savings and helping preserve vital healthcare resources for LeFlore County and the surrounding region.

Passenger vans—which typically have an occupancy of between nine and 15 people—are used by many organizations to transport a wide range of passengers. Some of those passengers require the use of a wheelchair. Wheelchairs can either be stored as cargo when not in use or used as a seat during transport. There are many safety considerations and best practices to be aware of for those who are in charge of the loading, unloading and securement of wheelchairs and their occupants in passenger vans. These best practices are especially important when a passenger is using a wheelchair as a seat in the vehicle. As such, employees should be trained on working with different types of wheelchairs as seats in the vehicle, securing occupants in those seats and securing the wheelchair as cargo when it is not in use.

Radon is a colorless, odorless and tasteless radioactive gas that is formed from the natural radioactive decay of uranium found in many rocks, soils and water. It is a known human carcinogen. As the second leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking, it presents a serious health risk to those exposed.

Healthcare workers, especially those employed by nursing homes, perform a variety of lifting tasks that put extreme strain on their bodies. Often, an employee must physically support and move residents who are larger and heavier than he or she can bear. As a result, these workers are at high risk for developing job-related injuries. Nursing aides, orderlies and attendants have the highest incidence rate of musculoskeletal disorders, two times greater the average rate of all occupations. A recent study showed that healthcare workers sustained 47,840 injuries over a period of a year that required days away from work, the second highest of any occupation. Overexertion was the leading cause or exposure for those injuries.

Healthcare providers have been increasingly utilizing technology and turning to digitization. Innovations such as telehealth, artificial intelligence (AI), digital billing systems and connected devices continue to reshape the industry.

Sustainability has become increasingly important for healthcare facilities. Faced with regulatory requirements, cost-saving opportunities and growing public expectations for environmental responsibility, healthcare facilities are pursuing green initiatives that align with operational efficiency and risk management goals.

Over the last few years, the healthcare industry has been navigating a volatile landscape shaped by changing market demands, labor shortages, inflation and supply chain difficulties. In 2025, several trends could continue to impact the sector, including workforce safety concerns propelled by staffing shortages and changing skills requirements, increased cyberthreats due to increasing technology reliance, ongoing efforts to secure medical supplies and medications amid supply chain challenges, and the risks associated with expanded telehealth use.

Footwear is an important issue for healthcare professionals, many of whom spend long stretches of time standing or walking throughout the day. Good footwear is essential to worker comfort, but comfort concerns must be balanced with safety.

On Feb. 21, 2024, Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group (UHG) and one of the largest platforms for managing health insurance billing and payments in the United States, experienced a large-scale cyberattack. This attack forced the company to shut down over 100 services across its system for multiple weeks, affecting millions of health care providers and patients across the country.