Reducing variation in total knee replacements
A new study in the journal Health Affairs of total knee replacement (TKR) confirms that wide variations in care exist among hospitals based on factors such as geographic location. The High Value Healthcare Collaborative found significant variations in TKR among the 5 participating health care systems. Among these were length…
Tying anesthesia salaries to on-time starts, turnovers
Better data coupled with an at-risk salary model for anesthesiologists have helped one academic medical center to improve its performance for on-time starts and turnover time between cases. The hospital’s surgical volume was growing, and it had to make the most of its OR time. Yet a lot of the…
Key OR design, construction changes proposed
Key changes are being proposed in the OR design and construction guidelines that are used by the Joint Commission, federal agencies, and 42 states. OR leaders may wish to offer comments. Comments are accepted until November 22, 2012, on the draft 2014 Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care…
Lumens and endoscopes: Meeting cleaning basics
Narrow-lumened instruments and endoscopes are one of your biggest reprocessing challenges. They have the highest risk of being improperly processed, notes Michelle J. Alfa, PhD, FCCM, a researcher in health care-associated infections. If the lumens and channels of endoscopes are not cleaned properly, high-level disinfection or sterilization may not be…
Sleep apnea: Identifying patients at risk in the ASC
With obesity increasing across the country, it is not surprising that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) also is on the rise. For ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), obesity offers a major—but not the only—clue that a patient may have, or be at risk for, OSA. A common health risk of obesity, OSA…
August At a Glance
Regional anesthesia better for hip fracture Regional anesthesia was linked with a significant reduction in major pulmonary complications and death after hip fracture surgery in a study. Of patients having hip fracture surgery in 126 New York State hospitals, those who had regional rather than general anesthesia had 29% lower…
New TJC tool for hand-offs
The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare announced its new Hand-off Communications Targeted Solutions Tool in June 2012. The tool will assist organizations with the process of passing patient care information from one caregiver to another to prevent miscommunication. Organizations piloting the tool reduced readmissions by 50% and reduced by…
1 in 5 hospital RNs is depressed
The rate of depression in hospital–employed nurses, at 18%, is twice the rate of the general population, finds a study. Body mass index, job satisfaction, number of health problems, mental well-being, and health-related productivity were significantly related to depression in the survey of 1,171 RNs. Advanced practice nurses and nurse…
Free Daily News
- Hospital M&A activity drops to historic low amid economic and policy uncertainty
- GAO urges HHS to improve drug shortage response coordination
- Study: US maternal mortality rises 28% in 5 years, inequities persist
- Routine preop tests catch hidden risks in outpatient cosmetic surgery, Canadian study finds
- Study: Hospital same‑day knee replacements match ASC outcomes, even in higher‑risk patients
- FDA clears AI platform for real-time surgical measurements
- Study: MRI contrast agent causes harmful metal buildup in some patients
- Dissolvable pacemaker delivers temporary cardiac support without wires, surgery
- CSA taps Milagro’s AI coding to accelerate revenue cycle across ASC network
- Study: Cannabis use complicates sedation, cancer care
Career Center
- Director- Clinical Operations, Operating Room, Riley Children's Hospital - Indiana University Health - Indianapolis, IN
- CARDIOTHORACIC SURGEON STANFORD MEDICINE - Stanford University, School of Medicine - Corvallis, OR
- PEDIATRIC CARDIAC SURGEON - Stanford University, School of Medicine - Honolulu, HI
- Tampa Vascular Surgeon - Vein ans Vascular Institute - Tampa, FL