Editor's Note This systematic review and meta-analysis by researchers at the University of Washington, Seattle, finds that natural immunity provided by past COVID-19 infection offers strong protection against reinfection and severe disease for at least 40 weeks. The analysis included 65 studies from 19 countries. Among the findings: For those…

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This year, the OR Business Management Conference was held in Savannah, Georgia, and returned to its regular schedule of February. The intimate event was again a symbiotic blend between financial-, business-centric education and high-quality networking. The education offered to seasoned and new business leaders alike, perhaps more than previous years,…

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The OR department is often what keeps most hospitals afloat. Surgical services account for roughly 50% of a hospital’s revenue, but they also contribute approximately 60% to overall costs. ORs must be efficient. Successes and failures in the surgical suite affects the entire system. Healthcare systems have found that highly…

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Float teams have been a staple of nurse-staffing plans for many years, but they have not been widely used in the operating room. Utah Valley Hospital, a Level II trauma center in Provo, Utah, and part of the Intermountain Healthcare system, has been developing float teams for nearly 2 decades.…

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Editor's Note In a press release published on February 15, Moderna announced that will remain “committed to ensuring” people in the US will have access to its COVID-19 vaccines even after the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ends on May 11, 2023, regardless of people’s ability to pay. The public health…

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Editor's Note This study led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, finds that individuals with post-COVID-19 condition (PCC), also known as long COVID, are less likely to be working and working full time.  Of 15,308 survey respondents with test-confirmed COVID-19 at least 2 months prior: …

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Editor's Note This study by researchers from the California VA Palo Alto Health System and Stanford School of Medicine compares trends in the use of robotic surgery for common general surgical procedures among Veterans Health Administration (VHA), community practice, and academic healthcare centers between January 1, 2013, and December 31,…

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Editor's Note This study from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, finds that network facilities had higher negotiated prices for surgical procedures, and there is wide variability across facilities in and out of hospital networks. A total of 3,195 hospitals were included in the analysis. Among the findings: For 15…

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Editor's Note In its annual survey, the American College of Healthcare Executives identified “workforce challenges” as their top concern for the second year in a row, the February 13 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. Financial challenges, which held the top spot for 16 years, is now listed second in the most…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on February 9 that it has joined with Manchester Specialty Programs, Inc, to provide insurance pricing benefits to medical staffing firms that have Health Care Staffing Services Certification from The Joint Commission. Available coverage includes workers’ compensation, professional and general liability, as well as…

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