Uncategorized Editor's Note A multifaceted staffing strategy, including predictive analytics and soliciting staff suggestions, helped Scripps Health in San Diego significantly increase worker retention and headcount in 2023, according to Becker’s Hospital Review. The December 21 Q&A with Eric Cole, corporate senior vice president of human resources, revealed the organization increased…
Editor's Note Population growth in Florida is amplifying the nationwide shortage of doctors and nurses and putting the state on the verge of a healthcare crisis, Fox 13 Tampa Bay December 27 reports. An estimated 300,000 residents will relocate to Florida annually during the next 5 years. Meanwhile, a third…
Editor's Note Hospitals in Fresno County, California are operating over capacity by 20% to 40% due to a sharp rise in respiratory diseases such as flu, COVID-19 and RSV, according to a December 18 press release from the Fresno County Department of Public Health. In addition to straining resources, the…
Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is sounding the alarm regarding low vaccination rates for COVID-19 and flu for all adults, as well as low RSV vaccination rates for adults 60 and older. According to the December 14 announcement, study data show anti-virals are also being…
Editor's Note Guidelines for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) about when healthcare workers should wear N95 masks are less stringent than those from California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA), Medical Xpress reported on December 21. Specifically, the CDC’s advisory committee has suggested that health workers wear surgical…
Editor's Note Spinal surgeons seeking a better standard of care now have an alternative to traditional scanning that exposes patients to levels of radiation equivalent to multiple X-rays. Highlighted in LA Weekly on December 19, the PathKeeper 3D optical and navigation system uses high-resolution 3D optical cameras to provide real-time…
Editor's Note Health record codes that track social, environmental, and economic influences on patient health outcomes are vastly underutilized during screening, according a December 19 EurekAlert! report on research from John Hopkins and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Published in Health Affairs Scholar, the study analyzes the…
Editor’s Note US hospitals charge approximately 55% higher average fees than ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) for colonoscopies covered by private health insurance. The findings, from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, appeared as a research letter in JAMA Health Forum on December 15. The analysis is one of…
Editor’s Note An investigation by the nonprofit organization ProPublica and the Capital Forum revealed many doctors with a history of malpractice cases now serve as insurance company medical directors—a role with major influence on decisions that impact patient outcomes. According to a December 15 article in ProPublica, the organizations used…
Editor’s Note Social distancing was more effective than closing borders in preventing the spread of COVID-19, according to a study published in Cell December 14. Conducted by Scripps Research, the study examined the efficacy of various mandates—including stay-at-home measures, social distancing, and travel restrictions— in preventing local and regional transmission…
