Hospital M&A trends report reveals financial distress, market reorganization
Editor's Note The US hospital industry continues to face significant financial and structural challenges despite signs of stabilization in 2024, according to a January 9 report from Kaufman Hall. Despite improved operating margins and stable credit outlooks from major rating agencies, a surge in transactions involving financially distressed organizations and…
Study: Patient care experience declined after private equity hospital acquisitions
Editor's Note Patients fared worse in the wake of private equity acquisitions of US hospitals, according to research published January 9 in JAMA Network. Over a decade-long analysis of 73 acquired hospitals and 293 matched controls, declines became more pronounced in the years following acquisition, researchers wrote. Key findings include:…
Virtual care enhances perioperative efficiency
Eliminating physical distance as a barrier to communication makes it easier for caretakers to help not only their patients, but also one another. This is the promise of virtual care technology, which offers system-wide potential for providers facing growing demand for high-quality, cost-effective care. For perioperative leaders specifically, advantages of…
Reprocessed medical devices save hospitals millions, cut emissions
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…
Educational program enhances perioperative nurses' knowledge on pressure injury prevention
Editor's Note A study led by researchers at Yeshiva University showed an educational intervention program significantly improved perioperative nurses’ understanding of pressure-injury prevention, with the benefits lasting for at least six months following the training. Results were published August 23 in Applied Nursing Research. Conducted among 354 nurses from 11…
Medicare Advantage insurers prioritize profits over patients, Senate reports
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…
Study: Bariatric surgery more cost effective than GLP-1s
Editor's Note Combining newer weight loss drugs with bariatric surgery is the most cost-effective long-term strategy for treating obesity, according to research presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2024. Medical Xpress reported on the findings October 18. According to the article, researchers from Northwestern Medicine evaluated the…
Medicare policy on prior authorization falls short on shifting outpatient surgery trends
Editor's Note A Medicare policy introduced in 2020, which requires prior authorization for certain procedures done at hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs), has not significantly reduced the volume of surgical procedures being done at these facilities, reports a study by Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, published on October 9. The policy,…
CMS proposes $2 Drug List Model to reduce out-of-pocket costs for Medicare recipients
Editor's Note CMS has taken the next steps in making prescription drugs more affordable for Medicare recipients, according to an October 9 report from The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The proposed Medicare $2 Drug List Model, developed in line with President Biden’s Executive Order 14087, aims…
Why nurse travelers are more friends than foes
Many are quick to blame travelers for the poor state of hospital finances. However, isn’t there a difference between a traveler in the OR—an interim staff member in the hospital’s profit center—and an interim RN in an area financially supported by OR profits? What about the argument that travelers can…
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- Study: Racial, gender disparities persist in bariatric surgery
- Study: Dry eye risks complicate cataract surgery recovery
- Study: Observational learning ineffective in ensuring nursing student infection control compliance
- Students innovate to reduce OR plastic waste
- OR Business Management Conference 2025 features fresh perspectives, new tracks
- Survey: Bariatric surgery’s fertility benefits not widely understood
- Study highlights nurse staffing disparity in hospitals serving black populations
- Joint Commission issues new workplace violence prevention standards
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