Editor's Note A health system in Colorado is benefitting handsomely from Opportunity Now Colorado, a state grant program designed to provide a growing workforce with a variety of new job opportunities. Intermountain Health, which announced the $1.9 million seed grant in an April 25 press release, will reportedly use the…

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Editor's Note In a move one expert calls “a complete U-turn,” the World Health Organization (WHO) has concluded that viruses transmit through primarily the air via inhalation of tiny suspended particles of saliva and mucus, KFF Health News reported on May 1. Until now, health authorities have relied on the…

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Editor's Note Nearly 7 in 10 physicians responding to a recent Wolters Kluwer Health survey report that their views on the healthcare benefits of generative artificial intelligence (AI) have shifted in a positive direction during the past year. Detailed in an April 16 report, the survey also reveals that 40%…

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Editor's Note Released May 1, the most recent Leapfrog Group hospital patient safety grades reflect declines in preventable healthcare-associated infections and improvements in patient’s hospital experiences since fall 2023. Leapfrog, a nonprofit, releases its Hospital Safety Grades report biannually, assigning traditional letter grades to nearly 3,000 general hospitals based on…

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Editor's Note Healthcare employment in the US rose by 56,000 from April to May, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, released on May 3. That is compared to an overall monthly gain of 175,000 in April. In April, healthcare employment also trended up in: ambulatory…

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Editor's Note Solid operating margins and an improved payer mix contributed to robust financial outcomes for HCA Healthcare in the first quarter of 2024, including “significant growth” in inpatient admissions, surgeries and emergency room visits, according to an April 29 article on Investing.com. According to the report, outpatient surgery revenue…

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Editor's Note Average prices for healthcare services trended upward from 2018 to 2022 despite fluctuations in utilization of service, according to the annual Health Care Cost and Utilization Report (HCCUR) from the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI). In the same timeframe, per-person spending increased nearly 19%. "Prices, in particular, pose a…

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Editor's Note The lowest rates for the premier event for perioperative leaders, the 2024 OR Manager Conference, end May 10. Scheduled for October 28-30 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the event will provide learning, networking, and other opportunities for professionals in all perioperative settings, including hospitals, health systems,…

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Editor's Note Hospital head counts and budgets reflect a growing emphasis on cybersecurity, according to a recent Moody’s Investment Service report. As detailed in an April 25 report in Becker’s Health IT, the Moody’s report is based on data from 148 healthcare organizations, 77% of which are hospitals. Cybersecurity team…

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Editor's Note Healthcare workers in Kentucky will become the first in the country to gain protection from criminal prosecution for medical errors, WKYT reported April 30. Passed unanimously by both chambers of the Kentucky legislature and signed by Gov. Andy Beshear in March, the law was championed by the Kentucky…

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