Editor's Note New standards from The Environmental Protection Agency promise to cut nationwide emissions of ethylene oxide—employed to sterilize more than half of US medical devices—by more than 90 percent. According to a March 15 MedPage Today report, the aim is to reduce cancer risk among the 13 to 14…

Read More

Editor's Note The recent cyberattack on Change Healthcare created a financial impact for the lion’s share of US hospitals surveyed recently by the American Hospital Association, with more than half reporting “significant or serious” impact and three of every four also reporting direct impacts on patient care. These data reflect…

Read More

Editor's Note Citing research from Dolman Law Group, a March 11 article in Becker’s ASC Review notes that surgeons have the second-most stressful job of any profession in the US. Anesthesiology was third most stressful, while paramedic was fourth. Steelworker topped the list. The Dolman Law Group research examined data…

Read More

Editor's Note Researchers at MIT have developed a new gel called GastroShield to help prevent gastrointestinal bleeding during and after surgery performed during colonoscopy screenings. Advanced Materials published the findings on February 29.  Colonoscopy screenings—undergone by some 20 million Americans each year—often result in doctors finding and removing polyps. These…

Read More

Editor's Note A study published March 8 in the journal Health Policy finds that nurses’ intention to leave the profession has a significant association with patient mortality.   Researchers looked at data from approximately 37,000 patients aged 50 and older admitted to 15 public hospitals in Italy in 2015 for…

Read More

Editor's Note A study from the Joint Commission found that more than 25 percent of hospitals have not adopted any of the four policies identified by the organization as best-practice, evidence-based discharge practices for preventing suicide in at-risk patients.   According to a March 12 report on the implementation gap…

Read More

Editor's Note A patient undergoing emergency neurosurgery at Northwestern Medicine became the first to benefit from a neurosurgical drill designed to eliminate the need for hand-crank operation. According to a March 5 report from Northwestern, the procedure occurred in October at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, “when Northwestern Medicine neurosurgeon Matthew Potts, MD used…

Read More

Editor's Note Making good on plans announced by the Biden administration in December, federal agencies have launched a public inquiry into how private equity mergers and acquisitions impact patient outcomes, worker safety, and healthcare access and costs, including costs to taxpayers.  As reported by Dotmed Healthcare Business News on March…

Read More

Editor's Note US News & World Report, recognized globally as an authority in healthcare rankings and consumer advice, announced in November 2023 the addition of Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers to its annual series of ratings that evaluate healthcare sites. This new category comes in response to the growing prevalence of…

Read More

Editor's Note Becker’s ASC Review on February 13 published an in-depth overview of the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) sector's growth and activity in 2023. It highlights the ongoing trends, market dynamics, regulatory changes, and notable company performances within the industry. Here are some takeaways: Growth and consolidation: The ASC sector…

Read More