Editor's Note A new meta-analysis of 85 studies reveals a significant association between nurse burnout and negative outcomes in patient safety, satisfaction, and care quality. The findings underscore the impact of burnout—characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment—on healthcare performance globally, with implications for organizational and policy interventions,…

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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 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 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 Newsweek on October 16, in collaboration with Statista, released its 2025 rankings for America's Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs), recognizing 650 top-performing ASCs across the US. These rankings highlight excellence in outpatient surgical care, showcasing centers that provide efficient, high-quality procedures such as colonoscopies, cataract surgical procedures, knee…

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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 Iranian cyber actors employing techniques such as brute force, password spraying, and multifactor authentication (MFA) "push bombing" to compromise healthcare and other critical infrastructure sectors, the American Hospital Association (AHA) reported October 17. The report cites an October 16 joint advisory issued on October 16 by the FBI,…

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Editor's Note A newly constructed surgical “megafloor” that connects inpatient and outpatient ORs promises to aid workflow and add flexibility for perioperative teams at The University of California Irvine (UCI) Health—Irvine campus, Healthcare Design reported October 7. As detailed in the article, the academic center must accommodate a variety of…

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Editor's Note Combining newer weight loss drugs with bariatric surgery is the most cost-effective long-term strategy for treating obesity, according to research presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2024. Medical Xpress reported on the findings October 18. According to the article, researchers from Northwestern Medicine evaluated the…

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