First assistants (FAs) can play an important role in achieving optimal outcomes and higher surgical case volumes. Part 1 of this two-part series discussed types, education, and certification of FAs (OR Manager, May 2021, pp 1, 15-18). Part 2 answers questions related to risk management and oversight, and discusses possible…

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A year ago at this time, healthcare facilities were busy resuming elective procedures that had been put on hold because of COVID-19—a feat that required agility, innovation, and collaboration to ensure staff and patient safety amid the ongoing pandemic. It’s remarkable that multiple vaccines have since been developed and administered…

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Does compassionate care really matter? Clinical evidence points to a resounding Yes. “When healthcare providers take the time to make human connections that help end suffering, patient outcomes improve, and medical costs decrease. Among other benefits, compassion reduces pain, improves healing, lowers blood pressure, and helps alleviate depression and anxiety,”…

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Reforms are underway to curb surprise billing practices, with new federal government regulations due to be published by July 1 as part of the No Surprises Act passed by Congress in late 2020. Among many other provisions, the new law will require insurance providers to be more transparent about prices…

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Amendments have been added to the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) standard ANSI/AAMI ST79, Comprehensive Guide to Steam Sterilization and Sterility Assurance in Health Care Facilities. The standard, which is used in healthcare facilities to guide their sterilization processes, is considered a useful resource to promote best…

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A global pandemic did not stop the proliferation of joint ventures between ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and hospitals in 2020. The trend continues in 2021, as federal regulators expand on the types of procedures that can be performed in the ambulatory setting. Hospitals are recognizing the need for a surgery…

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Editor's Note Opioids prescribed after outpatient surgery are going down, but still do not meet expert recommendations, a new study from Epic Health Research Network finds. The researchers examined the median number of opioid tablets prescribed after outpatient surgical procedures between January 2017 and December 2020. For four orthopedic procedures,…

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Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons on May 17 announced that May 20 is the fourth annual national STOP THE BLEED® day. In the US and around the world, more than 1.5 million people have been trained to STOP THE BLEED®, and nearly 80,000 have become instructors. This year,…

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Editor's Note Urban hospitals bounced back faster than rural hospitals from surgical caseload decreases caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, finds a new study released May 13 by Caresyntax, a Boston-based developer of surgical intelligence and automation technologies. The study, “The State of Surgery: An Analysis of Surgical Trends During the…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on May 13 announced that fully vaccinated individuals can discard masks and do away with social distancing outdoors and in most indoor settings. The agency still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings, such as buses, planes, hospitals, prisons, and…

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