The passage of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act in 2009 brought electronic health records (EHR) to the forefront, but the concept existed long before that. Larry Weed and Jan Schultz at the University of Vermont developed a preliminary system in the 1970s. In 2014,…

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The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) has been accrediting ambulatory healthcare facilities, including ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), for more than 40 years, with some 6,100 accredited organizations. A top philosophy of AAAHC is “1095 Strong,” which emphasizes the importance of integrating quality practices throughout a facility’s 1,095 days…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 15 released its Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) proposed rule that would raise rates by a net 2.7% in CY 2023. This update is based on the projected hospital market basket percentage increase of 3.1%, reduced by 0.4%…

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Editor's Note The healthcare software company Epic has been seeing an upward trend in its revenue, reporting “double-digits [growth] every year for the last decade,” Becker’s Health IT June 13 reports. Citing CB Insights and Forbes, Becker’s noted that Epic’s revenue grew by 13% in 2021 and hit $3.8 billion.…

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Editor's Note This systematic review and meta-analysis from Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook University, New York City, and the University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, finds that COVID-19 pandemic measures were associated with widely reduced cancer screening services. Between January and October 2020, there was an overall decrease of: -46.7%…

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Editor's Note Overall healthcare employment in the US was up in June to a seasonally adjusted 16,314,900 workers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on July 8. That’s up 56,700 since May. Hospital employment also was up by 20,500 jobs. The overall unemployment rate for June remained at 3.6%, for…

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Editor's Note According to a report from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), economic activity in the hospital subsector grew in June for the 25th consecutive month, Healthcare Purchasing News July 7 reports. Following are some observations, according to Nancy LeMaster, MBA, ISM chair for the Hospital Business Survey Committee:…

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Editor's Note According to a June 28 report from Future Market Insights, the global ambulatory surgery center (ASC) market is projected to hit $130.6 billion by 2031, Becker’s ASC Review June 29 reports. The projection considers a 3.9% compound annual growth rate from the $85.4 billion total the global ASC…

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Editor's Note This study led by nurse researchers at The Ohio State University College of Nursing explores the professional and personal experiences of US nurse managers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis, which includes views of 39 nurse managers from 5 US health systems, identifies three major themes—challenges, feelings and…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on June 29 announced that the application deadline for the "Bernard J. Tyson National Award for Excellence in Pursuit of Healthcare Equity" has been extended through July 14. The Tyson Award was established in partnership with Kaiser Permanente in honor of Bernard J. Tyson, the…

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