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When the Valley Hospital in New Jersey started to think seriously about putting its customers at the center of all that it did, patient volunteers were brought in on discussions about workflow, how patient forms should be designed and nearly everything else that came to mind. Pamela Bell, director of patient family-centered care at the hospital, recalled when a patient was helping review rehabilitation exercise instructions sent home with surgical patients. The instructions referred to the patient's upper left extremity. (Muchmore, 8/30)

Trinity Health and its hospital in Minot have agreed in principal on a legal settlement with 21 victims of the largest hepatitis C outbreak in recent U.S. history, though Trinity’s legal fight with a nursing home where most people were sickened will continue. Trinity attorneys filed a request asking state Judge Todd Cresap to dismiss the lawsuit, saying Trinity recently reached a confidential settlement resolving the plaintiffs’ claims. They asked Cresap to allow a connected legal dispute between the hospital and the former ManorCare nursing home to be resolved in federal court, where it originated. Cresap has not yet ruled. (Nicholson, 8/30)

CHI Franciscan Health is seeking approval to close its Harrison Medical Center site in Bremerton and shift more than 250 beds to an expanded site in Silverdale, officials announced Tuesday. A letter of intent filed with the Washington State Department of Health indicates that the large health system expects to spend $484 million on the project, which is aimed at cutting costs while also expanding services to patients. (Aleccia, 8/30)

Dartmouth-Hitchcock lost $22 million in its most recent quarter, prompting Elliot Hospital officials to assess how the resulting bond rating downgrade might affect a possible affiliation and a potential new or renovated Elliot Hospital. “Elliot is taking all of the steps necessary to understand the impact this may have on a future affiliation,” Elliot spokesman Susanna Fier said Tuesday. Fitch Ratings downgraded $132.5 million in Dartmouth-Hitchcock bonds from “A+” to “A” and put the bonds on a negative ratings watch. (Cousineau, 8/30)