Editor's Note Joint guidance from key US medical associations advises that most patients on GLP-1 weight-loss medications, such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro), may safely continue these drugs before surgery, HealthDay News reported October 31. Concerns had emerged about potential risks associated with these medications due to their…

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Editor's Note Healthcare construction has been seeing a shift toward outpatient facilities, with medical office buildings (MOBs) and similar structures taking center stage, Building Design + Construction November 1 reports. Citing data from different sources, including the MOB/outpatient facilities 2024 survey, American Society for Health Care Engineering, JLL’s Medical Outpatient…

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Editor's Note This session on converting hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) into ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), presented at the recently concluded OR Manager Conference, saw Joan Dentler, MBA, founder of Avanza Healthcare Strategies, share practical insights for healthcare leaders contemplating this transition. Dentler began by highlighting the history of ASCs, which…

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Editor's Note Stool-based testing strategies could significantly reduce the number of colonoscopies required for post-polypectomy colorectal cancer (CRC) surveillance while maintaining equivalent long-term outcomes in cancer incidence and mortality, according to research published August 30 in Gastroenterology. Conducted in the Netherlands, the cross-sectional observational study compared three stool tests—multitarget stool…

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Editor's Note The story of how the perioperative team at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital responded to a recent cyber event revealed insights about resilience, communication, team-building, and preparedness in one of the concluding sessions of this week’s OR Manager Conference in Las Vegas. The session was presented…

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Editor's Note Disrupting traditional education is imperative to improve quality, retention, and safety in OR and SPD environments, said Hank Balch, Founder and President of First Case Media, in a Wednesday morning session at the 2024 OR Manager Conference. Balch described his overall vision for education as ensuring that “the…

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Editor's Note In 2023, hospitals and surgical centers saved more than $465 million and prevented nearly 98 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions by utilizing reprocessed single-use medical devices, according to a survey by the Association of Medical Device Reprocessors (AMDR). DotMed reported the news October 21. The data indicate…

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Editor's Note The Northtowns Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) is set to open on October 24 in Amherst, New York, representing the culmination of a 5-year effort led by Brian McGrath, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at UBMD Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, Buffalo Business First October 17 reports. Located within a 160,000-square-foot…

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Editor's Note A Senate report reveals that Medicare Advantage insurers are increasingly prioritizing profits over patient care by ramping up the use of prior authorization to deny necessary services, particularly post-acute care, for older adults, Becker’s Hospital Review reported October 17. In May 2023, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations…

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Editor's Note As the nursing shortage continues to challenge health systems, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) is promoting the use of the NCSBN ID, a unique nurse identifier, to help manage and improve the workforce. HealthLeaders covered the possibilities October 14 in article based on  an…

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