Editor's Note The Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN) is launching a national effort to reduce discard rates of donated organs, according to an October 23 announcement from the University of Michigan. OPTN oversees organ distribution for transplant procedures in the US. According to the report, the organization aims to…

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Editor's Note When it comes to the 2024 presidential election, “Neither candidate addresses a return to the fundamental tenet of healthcare: the patient-physician relationship,” reads the closing line of an “election guide” from Richard Menger MD MPA. In the preceding paragraph, Menger also argues that both candidates also neglect issues…

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Editor's Note New guidance from The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) addresses regulatory and safety concerns for hospitals using ethylene oxide (EO) for medical device sterilization—a pressing concern due to EO’s effectiveness but associated health risks. ANSI/AAMI ST58:2024, an update on chemical sterilization and high-level disinfection practices…

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Editor's Note The story of how the perioperative team at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital responded to a recent cyber event revealed insights about resilience, communication, team-building, and preparedness in one of the concluding sessions of this week’s OR Manager Conference in Las Vegas. The session was presented…

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Editor's Note “There's nothing worse than putting a contract together, only for the anesthesia providers to say, ‘Oh, no, we're not going to do that,” Mindy Gingery, MSN, CRNA, ARNP, president of Heartland Anesthesia & Consulting, said, opening this morning session on anesthesia contract best practices for ambulatory surgery centers…

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Editor's Note A study presented at the 2024 American Society of Anesthesiologists annual meeting suggests that non-salicylate NSAIDs may significantly reduce the risk of postoperative delirium, a serious complication affecting up to 15% of surgical patients, Anesthesiology News reported October 20. Delirium is especially prevalent in older adults and those…

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Editor's Note A system-wide preoperative nutrition program resulted in shorter hospital stays and fewer postoperative complications across the Allegheny Health Network, according to a study presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2024. Medical Xpress reported the news October 18. According to the article, researchers analyzed data from…

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Editor's Note Research shows repeated fasting for multiple surgeries during a single hospital stay significantly raises the risk of protein-calorie malnutrition, leading to longer recovery times, increased healthcare costs, and a higher likelihood of death. HealthDay covered the news October 21. Presented at the American Society of Anesthesiologists annual meeting,…

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Editor's Note A Senate report reveals that Medicare Advantage insurers are increasingly prioritizing profits over patient care by ramping up the use of prior authorization to deny necessary services, particularly post-acute care, for older adults, Becker’s Hospital Review reported October 17. In May 2023, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations…

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Editor's Note As the nursing shortage continues to challenge health systems, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) is promoting the use of the NCSBN ID, a unique nurse identifier, to help manage and improve the workforce. HealthLeaders covered the possibilities October 14 in article based on  an…

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