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October 31, 2026

Takeaways from the most recent news in the technology and policies shaping healthcare.

Hospitals

Dartmouth Health Cuts 124 Jobs, 303 Open Positions

Dartmouth Health, the eight-hospital system based in Lebanon, N.H., laid off 124 employees and canceled 303 open positions, the organization announced Sept. 15, according to Becker's Hospital Review. The cuts hit its flagship Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon and Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Southern Region, and include consolidating roles across the system.

The move fits a broader pattern. Academic medical centers and large health systems have been trimming staff and pausing hiring as they contend with high labor costs, thin margins, softening reimbursement, and uncertainty around federal funding. Eliminating open positions alongside active layoffs lets systems cut spending while limiting the number of workers directly affected.

For Dartmouth Health, the largest private employer in New Hampshire, the reductions signal continued financial strain even at well-regarded academic institutions. The consolidation of roles suggests leadership is restructuring operations rather than making isolated cuts, a sign that cost discipline is likely to persist into the coming budget cycles.

More in Hospitals

Hospitals

Rady Children's CEO Signals Succession After 29 Years

Rady Children's CEO Kimberly Chavalas Cripe, with 29 years leading CHOC, says she is ready to meet her successor amid a major pediatric system integration.

Why it matters: Long-tenured hospital CEOs shape strategy and culture, so orderly succession is essential to continuity as pediatric systems consolidate and face financial pressure.

Hospitals

Hackensack Meridian First in Northeast to Offer Pixclara

Hackensack Meridian Health is the first Northeast hospital network to offer Pixclara, an FDA-approved PET imaging drug for assessing brain cancer, at its Hoboken, N.J. imaging site.

Why it matters: Advanced PET tracers like Pixclara improve the precision of brain cancer diagnosis, and early adoption lets health systems differentiate their imaging capabilities.

Hospitals

Locum Tenens Emerges as a Fix for Maternity Care Deserts

Hospitals facing a wave of labor and delivery closures are turning to flexible locum tenens staffing to keep maternity units open.

Why it matters: Every L&D closure pushes childbirth farther away and raises risk for mothers and babies, making flexible staffing a lifeline for access.