The migration of surgical procedures from hospital ORs to hospital-owned ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) is picking up speed. According to a recent survey, three-quarters of larger hospitals now have an ownership stake in more than one ASC. Two-thirds of US health systems are currently planning to increase their ASC investment.…

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Editor's Note Overall healthcare employment in the US was up in July to a seasonally adjusted 15,990,500 workers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on August 6. That’s up 36,800 since June. Hospital employment was up 18,300 jobs. The overall unemployment rate fell to 5.4%.

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Editor's Note US News & World Report on July 27 released its best hospital rankings for 2021-2022, with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, earning the top spot for the 6th year in a row. Rounding out the top five in the Honor Roll were: Cleveland Clinic UCLA Medical Center…

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Editor's Note ECRI on July 20 announced a collaborative partnership with Nuvolo, an independent software vendor involved in cloud-based connected workplace solutions, based in Paramus, New Jersey. The partnership integrates ECRI’s standardization of medical device data with Nuvolo’s Connected Workplace for Healthcare. This automated process enables standardization of device data…

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Editor's Note This study from the Cleveland Clinic finds that patient satisfaction with virtual healthcare visits is comparable to traditional in-person visits. Researchers surveyed 426 adult patients who had virtual visits from June 21 to July 12, 2017. Among the findings: 92.9% believed their virtual visit clinician was interested in…

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Editor's Note This study led by researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, finds that US hospitals may not be adequately prepared for future pandemics. The 10-year analysis found only marginal improvements in a measurement to assess preparedness—Hospital Medical Surge Preparedness Index (HMSPI)—during the years leading up…

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Editor's Note ECRI announced June 30 that it had been chosen by the Belgium-based International Horizon Scanning Initiative (IHSI) to develop the first large-scale database of new and promising pharmaceutical products. ECRI will curate and maintain a database of pharmaceuticals expected to enter the European market within the next 2…

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As the nation gradually resumes activities that have been restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic, OR Manager looks forward to hosting two fall conferences. The OR Business Management Conference (ORBMC) takes place in San Diego, September 27-29, and the OR Manager Conference follows in Chicago, October 20-22. There has never been…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced May 17 that it has extended the Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) program data submission deadline from Monday, May 17, to Monday, July 19, 2021. The extension provides ASCs with more time to obtain HARP [Health Care Quality…

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Reforms are underway to curb surprise billing practices, with new federal government regulations due to be published by July 1 as part of the No Surprises Act passed by Congress in late 2020. Among many other provisions, the new law will require insurance providers to be more transparent about prices…

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