Author: Patsy Newitt

UnitedHealth Group's Optum, parent company of ASC chain SCA Health, is on a spending spree, acquiring more than $10 billion worth of companies in the last year. 

Here are five lawsuits involving gastroenterologists or gastroenterology practices that Becker's has reported on since Aug. 12:

Alejandro Fernandez, CEO of San Diego-based Synergy Orthopedic Specialists, joined Becker's to discuss the importance of ASC ownership as the healthcare industry becomes increasingly consolidated.

Former Altoona, Pa.-based physician assistant Jennifer Batrus was charged for her role in a $40,000 Medicaid fraud scheme, WTAJ reported June 27. 

Here are five big Amazon moves that Becker's has reported on since June 1:

Emergency room physician David Meranda, MD, who worked at an Akron, Ohio-based hospital, was sentenced to two years in prison for sexually assaulting a co-worker, the Akron Beacon Journal reported June 27. 

A former nurse who stole medical-grade fentanyl and replaced it with saline while working at Surgery Center at Jensen Beach (Fla.) was sentenced to four years in prison, TCPalm reported June 27.

The average hourly pay for nurses in the U.S. is $42.80 for registered nurses, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' occupational employment statistics survey's most recent data. 

Twenty-one physician specialties saw pay increases in 2023, according to Medscape's "Physician Compensation Report 2023."

Here are six major physician group acquisitions to know: