Editor's Note A new study led by Leticia Nogueira, PhD, MPH, scientific director of Health Services Research at the American Cancer Society indicates, found that exposure to wildfires may influence how long patients remain in the hospital after undergoing surgery for non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), Cancer Network March 26…

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Editor's Note Ten hospitals have reportedly closed 3 months into the year, with five shuttering in February alone—a stark escalation compared to the 25 closures reported in 2024 and 14 in 2023, Becker’s Hospital Review March 21 reports. This troubling trend raises questions about the mounting difficulties hospitals face, from…

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Editor's Note Healthgrades has announced its 2025 America's Best Hospitals Awards, recognizing the top 50, 100, and 250 hospitals in the U.S. for overall clinical performance. According to a January 28 announcement, the rankings are based on an analysis of approximately 4,500 hospitals, evaluating outcomes for more than 30 common…

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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:…

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Editor's Note A study published in JAMA Surgery revealed that hospitals owned by private equity firms had significantly worse outcomes for esophagectomy patients compared to non-acquired hospitals. As detailed in a January 2 report on the findings in MedPage Today, the analysis of over 9,000 cases highlights disparities in 30-day…

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Editor's Note The credit outlook for the nonprofit hospital sector improved from “deteriorating” to “neutral” in Fitch Ratings’ 2025 report, the first revision in more than 2 years. Healthcare Dive reported the news December 11.  According to the outlet, Fitch attributes the shift to “steady improvement” in hospital operating margins,…

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Editor's Note The Leapfrog Group has announced its 2024 Top Hospital and Top Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Award recipients December 17, honoring facilities for standout performance in patient safety and care quality. This year, the national employer watchdog organization named 134 hospitals and 31 ASCs as winners of the national…

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Editor's Note According to this report published by The Leapfrog Group this month, hospitals in the US have significantly improved hand hygiene compliance, with 74% meeting the Leapfrog Hand Hygiene Standard in 2023, up from 11% in 2020. Among other factors, the report attributes this improvement to increased use of…

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Editor's Note The lowest rates in the last decade for the leading financial summit designed for business leaders in perioperative services will end September 6. The 2025 OR Business Management Conference, taking place February 10-12 at the Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa, Florida, offers attendees the opportunity to learn and network…

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Editor's Note Amid growing concerns over healthcare spending and affordability, there is bipartisan interest in aligning Medicare payments for outpatient services across various care settings through "site-neutral" payments, KFF June 14 reports. As a June 2023 Modern Healthcare article explains, last year Congress reviewed legislation to expand site-neutral payment policies,…

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