Healthcare employment up in July
Editor's Note Healthcare employment in the US rose by 55,000 from July to August, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), released on August 2. The gain is similar to the average monthly gain of 63,000 over the prior 12 months. In July, employment also…
1,000 California surgeries cancelled amid CRNA credentialing confusion
Editor's Note A CMS citation for immediate jeopardy this past June allegedly resulted in the cancellation of nearly 1,000 surgeries at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, California, according to a July 30 article in Becker’s ASC Review. Citing a July 26 letter from California Assemblymen Heath Flora and Juan Alanis…
Study highlights asset depletion in hospitals acquired by private equity
Editor's Note Acquisition by private equity firms leaves healthcare facilities less equipped to care for patients, according to a recent study published in JAMA. NBC reported the news July 31. Conducted by researchers from the University of California at San Francisco, Harvard Medical School, and Hunter College, this nationwide study…
Study: Video-based assessment shows promise for assessing non-technical surgical skills
Editor's Note Automated surgical video analysis could enhance evaluation of an OR team’s nontechnical skills, according to a study published July 31 in JAMA Network Open. Conducted between January 2021 and May 2022, the cross-sectional study involved 30 cardiovascular surgical teams at a teaching hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Using OpenPose,…
"Tweener" hospitals eye financial relief after Supreme Court ruling
Editor's Note The Supreme Court’s recent “Chevron” ruling could offer additional financial security to hundreds of so-called "tweener" rural hospitals—those too large to be considered critical access hospitals but too small to be rural referral centers. Modern Healthcare reported the news July 29. According to the article, critical access hospitals,…
Survey: ASC volume rising amid limited staffing improvement
Takeaways • Compared to 2023, the percentage of respondents reporting an increase in open positions for RNs and STs, as well as increased turnover for RNs, remained stable, but fewer reported a drop in ST turnover. • The percentage of respondents reporting hiring more managers set a 9-year record. •…
August is National ASC Month: Supporting the ASC industry
Editor's Note Every August, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) promote awareness of how they "have transformed the outpatient experience by offering a convenient and personalized alternative to the hospital outpatient surgical setting," notes the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA). This year, ASCA and other organizations are using the month to educate…
Health systems learn lessons from CrowdStrike global IT outage
Editor's Note Hospitals and health systems have largely returned to normal operations in the wake of a global IT outage caused by a faulty update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, according to a July 29 article in Becker’s Health IT. The outage, which began July 18, resulted in many health systems'…
Study reveals puzzling paradox on bilateral mastectomy, breast cancer survival outcomes
Editor's Note Medical professionals have long accepted that bilateral mastectomy does not improve survival outcomes for breast cancer patients. However, a study published in JAMA Oncology reveals a puzzling finding: Those who develop a second cancer in the other breast have a higher risk of death. As detailed in a…
The toll of excess inventory and the role of ecommerce
I still recall being handed roughly 10 boxes of suture anchors to practice with years ago at New York University (NYU) medical school. “Aren’t these needed here?” I asked incredulously. “Not at all,” came the answer, despite a hefty price tag of $1,000 per box. In fact, getting the suture…