An orthopedic service line has seen its volume rise and complications and costs go down since its surgical services director and chief of orthopedic surgery took the helm. Together, they have found they can drive change. It's an example of new types of collaborative arrangements hospitals are exploring with physicians.…

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An orthopedic service line has seen its volume rise and complications and costs go down since its surgical services director and chief of orthopedic surgery took the helm. Together, they have found they can drive change. It's an example of new types of collaborative arrangements hospitals are exploring with physicians.…

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How do we get to high-value health care—care that strikes the right balance between quality and cost? It's a question leaders will be facing as health care reform is implemented. What might that high value be like in surgical services? One place to look is Minnesota-based HealthPartners, a nonprofit integrated…

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How health care reform will affect hospitals and other facilities will be unfolding for years. There will be some time to prepare. Under the sweeping reform law passed in March 2010, the major expansion in insurance coverage won't take effect until 2014. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the reform legislation…

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Under the health care reform law, starting in 3 years, hospitals will stand to be paid more for meeting quality and outcome measures. They will also be penalized for hospital-acquired conditions and readmissions. Pilot projects will be launched to test new ways to deliver and pay for care to Medicare…

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Grand Junction, Colorado, about half way between Denver and Salt Lake City, is known for its dramatic red-rock country, mountain biking, river rafting, and other outdoor activities. With about 50,000 people, it's not a big population center, but it's become a big dot on the health care map. That's because…

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Two provisions of the health care reform law passed in March 2010 affect medical device companies. A 2.3% tax on companies' gross sales from medical devices starting in 2013 will help pay for reform. In addition, drug and device companies will have to publicly report gifts and payments made to…

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Because of recent regulatory activity, some are asking whether event-related sterility dating is going away. The answer is no. The confusion is a result of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking Kimberly-Clark (KC) to submit a new 510k application to confirm that its sterilization wrap meets all current requirements.…

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Ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) are generally set up to serve the needs of their patient communities while maximizing revenue for their physician, investor, or hospital owners. Take away those incentives, and it is reasonable for an ASC manager to ask, "What are we doing here?" Yet with falling reimbursement rates…

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Proposed revisions to AORN recommended practices (RPs) on surgical attire and prevention of unplanned retained items (formerly counts) generated lively discussion at the AORN Congress in March in Denver—as they are likely to do in ORs across the country. The proposals were open for public comment on the AORN website,…

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