Editor's Note Real-world experience in Texas—where more than 650 nurses marched on the capitol in support of workplace violence legislation—informed much of yesterday’s OR Manager Conference presentation on nurse legislative and policy advocacy from Serena Bumpus, DNP, RN, NEA-BC. Although nurses make up the largest healthcare workforce—around 5.2 million across…

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Editor's Note A total of 27 announced deals for Q3 marks the highest point yet this year for hospital and health system transactions, DOTMed reported October 8, citing data from Kaufman Hall. “The increase aligns with pre-pandemic transaction levels, driven significantly by the bankruptcy of Steward Health Care, which accounted…

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Editor's Note UnitedHealth Group (UHG) is in early talks to potentially acquire Surgery Partners, the third-largest operator of ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) in the US, according to Bloomberg, Healthcare Finance August 26 reports. Surgery Partners has also attracted interest from private equity firms, including TPG Inc. While no deal is…

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Editor's Note As healthcare continues to transition from inpatient to outpatient settings, large health systems are increasingly forming partnerships and joint ventures to develop and manage ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), Becker’s ASC Review August 16 reports. Per the outlet, health systems have historically been hesitant to embrace ASCs due to…

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Editor's Note A bill in California that aims to increase oversight of private equity healthcare investments is receiving support from consumer advocates, labor unions, and the California Medical Association and opposition from hospitals worried about losing funding sources, the Los Angeles Times reported August 9. Sponsored by Attorney General Rob…

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Editor's Note More than 700 rural hospitals, representing 31% of all rural hospitals in the country, are at risk of closure, according to a report from the Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform. Chief Healthcare Executive reported the news August 8. According to the article, 16% of all rural…

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Editor's Note Medicare and patient out-of-pocket costs are rising as vertical integration results in more procedures moving to hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) than to ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs), Becker’s ASC Review reported on August 8. The article summarizes a study published July 25 in Science Direct. Described as "physician vertical…

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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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One privilege of living at this time in history is the availability of choice, especially for health and surgical needs. Those who make healthcare their business understand this as well. According to Tanna et al, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are spreading to rural areas, hospitals are creating hybrid outpatient surgery…

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Editor's Note UnitedHealth Group acquired dozens of outpatient facilities, particularly surgery centers, in 2023, often without public announcements, STAT March 11 reports. This builds on their network of about 90,000 physicians. Many new centers are in areas where UnitedHealth dominates the Medicare Advantage market. A major acquisition was National Cardiovascular…

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