In 2020, the World Health Organization focused on promoting nurses to fill the anticipated need for 9 million nurses and midwives to achieve universal health coverage by 2030. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly amplified this pre-existing need. Additionally, the “Great Resignation” has impacted technology and healthcare disproportionally, and the University of…

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According to the 2022 OR Manager Salary/Career Survey, many ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are facing a critical shortage of surgical technologists (STs). The percentage of leaders reporting an increase in the number of ST open positions jumped from 22% in 2020 and 28% in 2021 to 42% in 2022, and…

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Many healthcare professionals are aware of single-use device reprocessing and its benefits. According to the Association of Medical Device Reprocessors, the savings generated by such programs can strengthen a facility’s financial sustainability and help provide a path for more responsible environmental stewardship. Sometimes, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) may experience situations…

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Navigating contracts with anesthesia when anesthesiology services are suffering from workforce shortages and high costs is often tricky and complex. The biggest mistake ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) make is that they do not know what they want when entering a contract negotiation with an anesthesia provider. As a result, ASCs…

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Editor's Note As cyber attacks on healthcare organizations continue to rise in number, the US department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a report examining the role of automation in cybersecurity, December 13 Health Care Dive reports. According to cybersecurity company, Sophos, the percentage of ransomware attacks on healthcare…

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Editor's Note This study from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, finds that increased time from COVID-19 diagnosis to having a surgical procedure was linked to decreased odds of experiencing major postoperative cardiovascular (CV) complications. A total of 3,997 adult patients who had a previous diagnosis of COVID-19 and underwent…

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Editor's Note Seven more health systems are updating, expanding, or opening nursing programs, the December 13 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the Abramson Family Center for Nursing Excellence, Philadelphia, started a Diversity Nurse Leader Fellowship Program. Montana State University Mark and Robyn Jones…

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Editor's Note Healthcare systems need to find innovative solutions to address the nursing shortage, according to a 2023 report from American Hospital Association (AHA), reports December 9 Becker’s Hospital Review. The report noted that the US nursing workforce lost over 100,000 people within the last 3 years, which is the…

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Editor's Note In this study, researchers from Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, find that mortality after major surgery is elevated in older adults who are frail or who have probable dementia. A total of 1,193 major surgical procedures in 992 Medicare beneficiaries were analyzed. Among the findings: Overall,…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on November 29 posted Exela Pharma Sciences’ expansion of its recall of Sodium Bicarbonate Injection, USP, 8.4%, 50 mEq/50 mL vial, 20-count carton. The product poses a safety concern because of vial breakage with flying glass when pressurized while preparing the product for…

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