Some companies in particular are rising above the fray with their innovative solutions, according to Fast Company, which ranked the most innovative companies for 2019 across industries and overall.

Opioid-related deaths, particularly those associated with synthetic opioids, have impacted the eastern states, according to new research published in JAMA Network Open. Washington D.C. had the highest increase in death rates across the U.S.—more than tripling every year since 2013.

Getting to and waiting for a doctor’s appointment will likely take longer than getting a car repair, according to a recent analysis of travel and wait times among professional services by Altarum. All that waiting and traveling adds up to a significant burden in the U.S.–– an average of $89 billion annually in economic costs from 2006 to 2017.

The total number of urgent care centers in the country grew from 8,125 in November 2017 to 8,744 in the same month in 2018—a total growth rate of 8 percent, according to the Urgent Care Association’s 2018 Benchmarking Report. These statistics underscore the changing healthcare preferences among a diversified patient population. 

Physician burnout is getting better, according to a new triennial study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. In fact, doctors were less likely to indicate emotional exhaustion and depersonalization in a survey in 2017 compared to 2014, and burnout prevalence is closer to 2011 levels.

A group of hospital associations sent a letter to Congress outlining their joint position to utilize a new set of principles to protect patients from surprise billing.