Oral and maxillofacial surgeon was the physician specialty that ranked the highest in U.S. News and World Report's 2024 best job rankings released Jan. 10. 

Forty percent of physicians said they had interest in leaving their current organization within two years, according to a survey from the American Medical Association that was taken between 2021 and 2022.

Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth plans to leverage the company's stature as a retail pharmacy to develop its healthcare business, he said in a recent interview with CNBC. 

The anesthesia shortages plaguing providers and practices nationwide promises to be an ongoing challenge headed into 2024. 

Here are five key notes on the state of physician-owned hospitals:

As healthcare consolidates, it is becoming increasingly difficult for some physicians to maintain ownership of facilities and access economies of scale. 

Four radiation oncology physician groups have partnered to push for improved access to quality cancer care across the United States.

At the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, Forbes updated its annual list of the richest people in the world, which includes 34 U.S. healthcare billionaires in 2024 and five individuals who hold medical degrees. 

Here are five recent numbers that have left chief medical officers wary:

Health systems nationwide are reinstating mask mandates for patients and physicians as cases of COVID-19, flu and respiratory syncytial virus continue to surge. 

Healthcare is an evolving industry at the forefront of innovation, whether that be via technology, new surgical techniques or breakthrough therapies.

Kansas and South Dakota are the least expensive states for a standard visit to a physician, with the cost of basic office visits ranging from $82-$125, according to data from insurance company Sidecar Health's care calculator. 

Alaska is the most expensive state for a standard visit to a physician, with basic office visits costing from $112-$172, according to data from insurance company Sidecar Health's care calculator. 

The U.S. primary care physician market is expected to reach $339.6 billion by the end of the decade.

A West Lake Hills, Texas-based physician-owned hospital, The Hospital at Westlake, has closed its emergency department months after filing for bankruptcy, according to a statement on the hospital's Facebook page.

Harvard University provost Alan Garber, MD, PhD, has been appointed interim president of the Cambridge, Mass.-based institution following the resignation of Claudine Gay, PhD.

Here are nine court cases involving physicians to know, as reported by Becker's since Dec. 4:

New York City-based NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Bronxville, N.Y.-based Sarah Lawrence College are piloting a master's program in genome health analysis.

Staff recruitment and retention and anesthesia coverage are among the top priorities for operating room leaders headed into 2024, according to a Dec. 22 report from ORManager based on a November/December survey conducted by the website. 

Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Bronson Healthcare has appointed Martinson Arnan, MD, as senior vice president and chief physician executive.