Editor's Note ECRI Institute (Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania) on February 21 released a free mergers and acquisitions infographic.  The infographic is intended to help hospitals and health systems who have completed a merger or acquisition to identify supply-item savings and opportunities and develop a consolidated medical equipment strategy. Registration required.   You…

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More than 400 surgical services directors, business managers, and thought leaders gathered in New Orleans in early February for the 2017 OR Business Management Conference. They came to explore new technology, learn from experts in the field, and network with their peers. They left with a wealth of ideas on…

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Aging and active Americans are refusing to let back problems slow them down—the number of these patients is increasing, and they prefer the less invasive outpatient methods offered in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). So do their physicians. As a result, ASCs seeking to adopt new procedures are looking more closely…

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Editor's Note Risk-adjusted Medicare payments for an episode of surgical care were similar at teaching and nonteaching hospitals for three complex surgical procedures, this study finds. Teaching vs nonteaching hospital payments included: abdominal aortic aneurism repair−$29,946 vs $27,993 pulmonary resection−$25,407 vs $26,813 colectomy−$34,949 vs $30,352. Very major teaching hospitals had…

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Editor's Note Surgical site infections (SSIs), especially serious infections resulting in hospitalization or surgical treatment, were associated with significantly increased health care costs after four common ambulatory surgical procedures, this study finds. The incidence of serious SSIs was 0.8% after 21,062 anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions, 0.5% after 57,750 cholecystectomies, 0.6%…

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Editor's Note In this study, Medicare’s Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement bundled payment model resulted in a decrease of $5,577 in total spending per episode. Most hospital savings came from implants and supplies, and most postacute care savings came from decreased use of inpatient rehabilitation and skilled nursing facility care.…

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Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) on January 20 notified members that it had received a letter from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) saying new moderate sedation codes that took effect January 1 were incorrectly bundled into several surgical procedures codes in CMS payment software.…

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When leaders at Memorial Healthcare, a 154-bed community hospital in Owosso, Michigan, wanted to get a jump on preparing for bundled payments, they chose to focus on total hip and knee surgery. Creating a perioperative surgical home (PSH) for this patient population paid off in enhanced patient satisfaction and reductions…

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OR leaders besieged by surgeons and others clamoring for the latest innovations must ensure that the business case for any new technology makes good sense both for patients and the organization’s bottom line. Building a strong business case requires careful assessment, clear writing, and a strong partnership with the finance…

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The inaugural Best in OR Business Award will be presented at the 2017 OR Business Management Conference in New Orleans on February 1. The award recognizes an individual who demonstrates strong business acumen with the ability to make complex logistical decisions, meet scheduling demands, think strategically, and focus on the bottom line.…

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