Editor's Note Severe staffing shortages paired with high labor costs are among the most significant challenges faced by hospitals today, according to responses from hospital executives in an October 18 KaufmanHall survey, HealthLeaders October 31 reports. The survey, named the 2022 State of Healthcare Improvement Report, shows that nearly half…

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Editor's Note This experimental study, led by researchers at the University of Washington, Seattle, finds that chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) is the most effective irrigation solution for use as part of the surgical treatment of bone tumors. Cultures of two types of bone tumors (giant cell and chondrosarcoma) were treated with…

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Editor's Note Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass Gen) in Boston this summer saw an “unprecedented” surge in demand for mental healthcare services, culminating in a “staggering 880 people on its waitlist for psychiatric services,” The Washington Post October 29 reports. According to the article, Mass Gen had to issue a letter…

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Editor's Note This study led by researchers from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia examines COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers (HCWs) at two large academic hospitals in Philadelphia. A total of 5,929 HCWs were surveyed, including 2,253 MDs and DOs, 582 nurse practitioners (NPs), 158 physician assistants (PAs),  and 2,936 nurses.…

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Editor's Note This study led by researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, examines the World Bank Disease Control Priorities’ 44 essential surgical procedures, which are a starting point for health care systems in low- and middle-income countries, and analyzes whether the list should be expanded for nations with more…

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Editor's Note In this study from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, researchers find that Black Medicare patients were less likely to receive surgical consultations than White Medicare patients after being admitted from the emergency department (ED) with an emergency general surgery condition. Of 1,686,940 Medicare patients included in the analysis,…

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Editor's Note In this study from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, researchers find that nearly a fifth of cases canceled on the day of surgery are never rescheduled, and, if they are rescheduled, the delay can be substantial. During the 2-year study period, 4,472 cases were canceled on the day…

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Editor's Note The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience has finalized its National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being, the October 3 AHAToday reports. The plan, which builds on 6 years of work among 200 participants, including the American Hospital Association (AHA), identifies goals and…

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Editor's Note In a recent American College of Emergency Physicians survey, some 85% of emergency physicians say they believe violence in US emergency departments (EDs) has risen over the past 5 years, and 45% say it has “greatly increased,” the September 22 EmergencyPhysicians.org reports Two-thirds of the 3,000 physicians surveyed…

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With all the factors involved in optimizing OR utilization, assigning OR slots is a complex proposition. When you consider that the average cost to run a fully equipped OR is now at approximately $1,000 per hour in staff and equipment costs, it is more important than ever for hospitals to…

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