Editor's Note This study, led by researchers from the University of Rochester (NY) School of Medicine, finds that the early response to the COVID-19 pandemic did not increase disparities in access to major surgical procedures. Of 3,470,905 adults hospitalized for major surgical procedures at 719 facilities between January 1, 2018,…

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Editor's Note In this wrap-up roundtable discussion, members of the conference planning committee Hazel Boyd, MBA, clinical operations manager at Boston Children’s Hospital; Sheila Stein, MSN, FNP, CNS, CNOR, robotics coordinator at Cayuga Medical Center; and Denise Waslo, MSN, RN, CNOR, CSSM, NE-BC, director of perioperative services at Long Island…

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Editor's Note In this presentation, Lynn Webb, PhD, assistant dean for faculty development and assistant professor of Medical Education and Administration at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, made a compelling argument for how unprofessional behavior on the part of clinical staff—including OR personnel—has a direct impact on the financial performance of…

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Editor's Note Delayed elective surgical procedures because of COVID-19 resulted in more emergency department (ED) visits and the need for urgent interventions for gallstone disease but not inguinal hernias, this Canadian study finds. Researchers identified 74,709 elective cholecystectomies and 60,038 elective inguinal hernia repairs. During COVID-19 first and second waves…

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Editor's Note This study by nurse researchers at Baptist Health Lexington, Kentucky, describes both emotional and administrative challenges chief nursing officers (CNOs) in the US faced during the COVID-19 crisis. Interviews conducted with 9 CNOs revealed they: were frustrated with constant change were saddened by the volume of death felt…

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Editor's Note Overall healthcare employment in the US was up in April to a seasonally adjusted 16,240,800 workers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on May 6. That’s up 34,000 since March. Hospital employment also was up by 4,500 jobs. The overall unemployment rate for March was 3.6%, for a…

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There is more than one way to skin a blue wrap—and transform its utility. Faced with overwhelming amounts of waste, teams in operating rooms are finding creative solutions, taking discarded medical supplies and repurposing them into bed pans, COVID masks, or in some cases, works of art. For many health…

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Is technology part of the answer for nursing staff woes? As COVID-19 patients continue to fill hospital beds, caregivers are feeling exhausted, burned out, and unappreciated. OR nurses have been especially hit hard, as shifts in surgeries and overflowing patient wards stretch OR nurses beyond their limits and comfort zones.…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association, on April 20, announced the launch of a Comprehensive Heart Attack Center certification program, which recognizes hospitals providing care to the most complex and critically ill patients. To be certified, hospitals must provide 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week on-site coverage for primary percutaneous…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), on April 18, released the FY 2023 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) proposed rule. The rule would increase payment rates by a net 3.2% for acute care hospitals that participate in the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program and…

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