Editor's Note Fifteen states and territories are banding together to rebuild the nation’s weakened public health infrastructure as federal support falters, CIDRAP October 17 reports from October 15 Wall Street Journal coverage. According to the news, Democratic governors have launched the Governors Public Health Alliance, a nonpartisan, nonprofit effort to…

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Editor's Note UnitedHealthcare’s 15% cut to certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) reimbursements has ignited strong opposition from anesthesia leaders who warn the policy could endanger patient access to safe, affordable care in rural and underserved areas, Nurse.org October 14 reports. On October 1, UnitedHealthcare implemented the new policy, reducing payments…

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Editor's Note Lock in system-level wins fast. The 2025 OR Manager Conference is right around the corner (October 28–30 in Anaheim, California), and it is loaded with how-to sessions that turn ideas into throughput, revenue, and workforce results you can bring home in Q4. This year’s agenda centers on pragmatic,…

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Editor's Note University of California San Francisco (UCSF) surgeons and researchers presented a wide range of original work at the American College of Surgeons’ 2025 Clinical Congress in Chicago, held October 4–7. According to an October 7 article published by UCSF, the meeting featured topics from perioperative opioid stewardship and…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced three new recalls between October 14 and 16 that may affect OR inventory and perioperative workflows across multiple service lines. Each recall targets a commonly used product in surgical or imaging settings, prompting leaders to review supplies and coordinate with…

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Editor's Note Cesarean delivery remains the most common major surgery in the US, but new evidence highlights its impact on recovery, pain, and sleep health for mothers. In an American Medical Association (AMA) interview published by HCA Healthcare Today on October 10 and new research presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025…

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Editor's Note A new study shows video-language models (VLMs) can accurately evaluate nursing skills and generate meaningful feedback, potentially transforming how future nurses are trained and assessed, Cornell University October 6 reports. The study describes the first framework to apply VLMs to automated nursing competency evaluation. According to the article,…

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Editor's Note A new study shows hospitals can meaningfully reduce unnecessary preoperative testing for healthy patients undergoing low-risk surgeries without compromising safety or workflow, JAMA Network October 6 reports. The “Right-Sizing Testing Before Elective Surgery” (RITE-Size) strategy successfully lowered testing rates from 68.0% to 40.3% across three Michigan hospitals, while…

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Editor's Note Artificial intelligence (AI) and evidence-based fasting practices could significantly enhance safety and comfort for children undergoing surgery, according to research presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025 annual meeting that took place on October 10–14. One study found AI systems outperform standard methods in key pediatric anesthesia tasks, including selecting…

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Editor's Note Patients’ social conditions, language, and sleep patterns may play a larger role in surgical recovery than previously recognized, according to three studies presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025 annual meeting that took place on October 10–14. Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, found patients facing food insecurity…

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