Editor's Note As aesthetic procedures continue to migrate into freestanding ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), a new Canadian study argues that routine laboratory tests and electrocardiograms—often labeled “low‑value” in hospitals—remain a critical safety net when emergency back‑up is miles away. The manuscript was published by the Aesthetic Surgery Journal on April…
Editor's Note A recent Duke University analysis challenges the long‑held assumption that ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) inherently deliver superior results for outpatient joint replacement, Orthopedics This Week March 18 reports. In the February 2025 Journal of Arthroplasty, researchers report that same‑day discharge total knee arthroplasty (TKA) performed in a tertiary‑care hospital…
Editor's Note Constitution Billing and Financial Services (CBFS), the revenue‑cycle arm of Constitution Surgery Alliance (CSA), has signed a commercial agreement with health tech startup Milagro to deploy its autonomous medical‑coding platform across CSA’s 26 partnered and managed ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). The partnership was announced in an April 4 CSA press…
Editor's Note Diving deep into compensation trends, responsibilities, retirement planning, staffing, and more, OR Manager’s annual Career/Salary Survey is the best place to obtain insight about your peers job satisfaction and greatest challenges. However, we need your help to continue providing these insights—and we’re offering incentive beyond the knowledge that…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced significant updates taking effect immediately to the eligibility requirements for its cardiac and stroke certifications, developed in collaboration with the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Stroke Association (ASA). According to the April 2 announcement, key revisions involve the removal of percutaneous coronary…
Editor's Note Intermountain Health researchers have uncovered a practical solution for reducing the risk of opioid-induced respiratory depression (OIRD) in same-day surgery patients, showing that a basic monitoring device—specifically, a pulse oximeter—can save lives, News Channel Nebraska March 27 reports. The study, published in the Respiratory Care Journal, focused on…
Editor's Note According to a study presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 2025 Annual Meeting, same-day discharge for total joint arthroplasty (TJA) patients with a history of atrial fibrillation (AF) is both feasible and safe, Medscape March 31 reports. This finding challenges the common assumption that patients with…
Editor's Note Stepping into a leadership role in the OR is both exciting and demanding. From budgeting and performance metrics to staffing and scheduling, there is a lot to navigate right from day one. To help new leaders step into their roles with confidence—and to offer fresh insights for seasoned…
Editor's Note Northwestern Medicine has partnered with robotic technology firm Vitestro to test and validate the safety and effectiveness of autonomous blood draw technology, according to a March 20 announcement from the health system. The multi-year collaboration centers on Aletta, billed as the world’s first Autonomous Robotic Phlebotomy Device (ARPD),…
Editor's Note A large-scale study of over 50,000 ambulatory surgery center (ASC) procedures shows a strikingly low rate of 24-hour unplanned postoperative hospital admissions, offering a benchmark that other ASCs can strive to match, General Surgery News March 26 reports. Over a 7-year period from 2016 to 2022, researchers at…