Editor’s Note: This page is a companion page to the main article, “Survey: Staffing woes ease slightly, but challenges remain.”   The percentage of respondents with a business manager was 42%, up slightly from 37% last year and comparable to the 43% seen in 2022. Here are some key findings.…

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For many in the healthcare industry, imagining surgery without onsite sterile processing seems unthinkable. Then again, performing total joints in an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) was unthinkable 10 years ago. ASC sterile processing departments (SPDs) are generally not designed to handle the high volumes of instrument trays, vendor trays, and…

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Human trafficking (HT) is a global public health crisis and one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises that grosses hundreds of billions of dollars annually, all of which are tax-free profits made off the sale of human cargo. And yet, research shows the problem is poorly understood or recognized among…

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Editor's Note At last year’s OR Manager Conference, Kelly Kapp, RN, CNOR, CNAMB, clinical education director at SCA Health, discussed the successful development and implementation of the Perioperative 101 (Periop 101) training program for nurses at SCA facilities. The initiative had the goal of mitigating the nursing shortage while improving…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Amneal Pharmaceuticals' Abbreviated New Drug Application for single-dose vials of propofol injectable emulsion, Anesthesiology News August 23 reports. The newly approved formulations include 200 mg/20 mL, 500 mg/50 mL, and 1,000 mg/100 mL vials. Propofol is widely used for anesthesia and…

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Editor's Note UnitedHealth Group (UHG) is in early talks to potentially acquire Surgery Partners, the third-largest operator of ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) in the US, according to Bloomberg, Healthcare Finance August 26 reports. Surgery Partners has also attracted interest from private equity firms, including TPG Inc. While no deal is…

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Editor's Note Clinicians managing surgical patients on direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) should adopt a different approach depending on the procedure, according to research published August 12 in JAMA Network. Used to treat patients with atrial fibrillation and venous thromboembolism, DOACs must be managed effectively to minimize risks of bleeding, researchers…

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Editor's Note A shuttered bariatric surgery center in Oklahoma last month is just one example of how the rise of Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists are reshaping health systems’ investments, Axios reported August 13. Rather than “massive hospital towers with cardiology clinics, dialysis beds and joint replacement centers,” the focus is…

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Editor's Note A recent study, published by Perioperative Medicine on August 13 and conducted at a large US academic tertiary care ambulatory surgery center (ASC), found the incidence of unplanned hospital admissions within 24 hours after a procedure performed at an ASC is “exceptionally” low. The research, which analyzed data…

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Editor's Note As healthcare continues to transition from inpatient to outpatient settings, large health systems are increasingly forming partnerships and joint ventures to develop and manage ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), Becker’s ASC Review August 16 reports. Per the outlet, health systems have historically been hesitant to embrace ASCs due to…

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