Editor's Note Chasing size through mega-mergers no longer guarantees sustainability for health systems, according to an April 15 article in HealthLeaders. Many of the nation’s largest systems are reporting significant losses, while emerging evidence links consolidation to stagnant or declining care quality and worsening workforce challenges. The article highlights financial…

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Editor's Note HST Pathways’ most recent industry report, discussed on the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast by HST CEO David Thawley and Bill Prentice, CEO of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA), offers insights into cardiology and orthopedic procedures done in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) in 2024, Ambulatory Surgery Center News…

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Editor's Note A retrospective review of 14 hospitals over 7 years found that robotic cholecystectomy costs were, on average, 2.5 times higher than laparoscopic cholecystectomy ($1,447 vs. $669 per case). Findings were published on March 19 in the journal Surgery. Disposable instrument choices also impact costs. Despite the rising adoption…

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Editor's Note In addition to the uptick in acquiring outpatient facilities since 2023, UnitedHealth Group quietly acquired or created more than 250 subsidiaries last year, expanding its already vast network of services comprising a major health insurer, physician practices, a pharmacy benefit manager, and various other healthcare ventures, STAT March…

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Editor's Note Operating margins for health systems declined across the US in early 2025 even as hospitals reported steady revenue growth, according to a February 27 report from Strata Decision Technology. The median operating margin for U.S. health systems dropped to 1.0% in January, down from 2.1% in December, marking…

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Editor's Note Survey results reveal healthcare finance leaders expect limited financial gains in 2025 and are shifting their focus to operational improvements and cost management rather than margin growth. DotMed reported the news February 24. The article is based on a new report on a survey of over 100 healthcare…

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Editor's Note Tenet Healthcare closed 2024 on a high note, reporting robust fourth-quarter results driven by strategic growth in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and effective cost management, Healthcare Finance February 18 and Healthcare Dive February 13 report. Partnering with United Surgical Partners International (USPI), one of the largest ASC platforms…

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Editor's Note A February 21 article in Modern Healthcare details how surgical robots are delivering faster procedures, improving patient outcomes, and boosting hospital profits. As detailed in the article, the global surgical robotics market has quadrupled since 2015, growing from $800 million to approximately $3 to $3.5 billion in 2023…

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Editor’s Note Shareholder payouts by publicly traded healthcare companies have surged 315% since 2001, raising questions about financial priorities in the sector, according to a February 19 article in Healthcare Finance. A research letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine and co-authored by Yale University researchers found that major healthcare corporations…

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Editor's Note Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) generate the highest overall financial returns for US hospitals, despite not being the most profitable per procedure, according to a February 13 report in Cardiovascular Business. The article covers an analysis of Medicare data, published in…

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