Editor's Note In a recent ASCA Audio Update, Charlie Leonard, public relations and public affairs consultant, spoke with Steven Obrech, associate director of government affairs at ASCA, to discuss various legislative issues affecting ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). This discussion showcased ongoing legislative challenges and efforts to support ASC operations at…

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Editor's Note Healthcare executives expect the US nurse shortage to worsen, according to the 2024 Healthcare Executive Report from Incredible Health, a career marketplace for healthcare workers. Projected to reach 1 million by 2030, the shortage is exacerbating stress on current staff and compromising care quality, according to the company’s June…

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Editor's Note Florida became the first US state to permit doctors to perform cesarean sections (C-sections) outside hospitals, siding with a private equity-owned physicians group advocating for cost reduction and a homier birthing environment, KFF Health News and HealthLeaders May 28 reports. However, the hospital industry and the American College…

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Editor's Note Colorado is the first state in naton to pass legislation regulating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in pivotal decision-making, including in healthcare, according to a May 22 report in Politico. The new law has sparked significant debate, according to the report, with some viewing it as a…

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Takeaways Although women comprise half the population, they were left out of medical research on major causes of death for both women and men—cancer, heart disease, and stroke—until 1990. Using surgical tools designed by men, for men can impact every aspect of a woman surgeon’s work, from learning new procedures…

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Editor's Note A health system in Colorado is benefitting handsomely from Opportunity Now Colorado, a state grant program designed to provide a growing workforce with a variety of new job opportunities. Intermountain Health, which announced the $1.9 million seed grant in an April 25 press release, will reportedly use the…

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Editor's Note Healthcare workers in Kentucky will become the first in the country to gain protection from criminal prosecution for medical errors, WKYT reported April 30. Passed unanimously by both chambers of the Kentucky legislature and signed by Gov. Andy Beshear in March, the law was championed by the Kentucky…

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Anyone doubting the prevalence of workplace violence (WPV) in the healthcare setting need only search online for “injuries to healthcare workers.” In a sector rife with occupational hazards—from slips and falls to sharps injuries and infections—a significant portion of the links are sure to mention WPV, with many even focusing…

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Editor's Note US Representatives from California and Texas reintroduced the National Patient Safety Board (NPSB) Act, which aims to establish a public-private research and development team “dedicated to preventing and reducing healthcare-related harms." The March 11 announcement comes during Patient Safety Awareness Week, an annual awareness initiative focusing on the…

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Editor's Note A new Alabama law provides civil and criminal immunity for providers and patients of in vitro fertilization (IVF) services, the Associated Press reported March 7. Last month, the Alabama Supreme Court effectively ruled that frozen embryos are people with a constitutional right to life, casting doubt on the…

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