Editor's Note Hospital performance declined this year compared to last, with more than 60% earning three stars or less in 2024 hospital star ratings from The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). “This decline might be partly due to the data covering the period from April 2019 to March…

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Editor's Note The American Hospital Association (AHA) criticized new inpatient prospective payment system rates issued August 1 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), citing the potential of financial struggles for hospitals and reduced access for patients, particularly in rural or underserved areas. Under the new rule, most…

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Editor's Note Having served six terms in Congress and as Governor of Minnesota since 2018, Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz has a long history of involvement in healthcare issues. MedPage Today published an overview of his track record on August 6, drawing on sources including ABC News, Star-Tribune, and the…

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Editor's Note A CMS citation for immediate jeopardy this past June allegedly resulted in the cancellation of nearly 1,000 surgeries at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, California, according to a July 30 article in Becker’s ASC Review. Citing a July 26 letter from California Assemblymen Heath Flora and Juan Alanis…

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Editor's Note Acquisition by private equity firms leaves healthcare facilities less equipped to care for patients, according to a recent study published in JAMA. NBC reported the news July 31. Conducted by researchers from the University of California at San Francisco, Harvard Medical School, and Hunter College, this nationwide study…

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Editor's Note The Supreme Court’s recent “Chevron” ruling could offer additional financial security to hundreds of so-called "tweener" rural hospitals—those too large to be considered critical access hospitals but too small to be rural referral centers. Modern Healthcare reported the news July 29. According to the article, critical access hospitals,…

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Editor's Note Hospitals and health systems have largely returned to normal operations in the wake of a global IT outage caused by a faulty update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, according to a July 29 article in Becker’s Health IT. The outage, which began July 18, resulted in many health systems'…

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Editor's Note Medical professionals have long accepted that bilateral mastectomy does not improve survival outcomes for breast cancer patients. However, a study published in JAMA Oncology reveals a puzzling finding: Those who develop a second cancer in the other breast have a higher risk of death. As detailed in a…

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Although I am not a healthcare professional, working for OR Manager offers a peek behind the curtain. What I have learned so far has left me feeling a bit conflicted. When I took this job back in December, I assumed the hospital ecosystem was driven entirely by the Hippocratic Oath.…

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Takeaways Successful collaboration requires prioritizing teamwork and aligning new projects and ideas with the overarching goals of the organization. Strategies for making the case for a new project or initiative include establishing subject matter expertise, tailoring the message, and having a win-win mindset. The most influential leaders understand others’ perspectives…

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