Editor's Note Hospital groups are criticizing CMS' proposed 2.6% pay increase for 2025, deeming it insufficient for nonprofit hospitals with operating margins near or below zero, according to a July 11 article in Becker’s Hospital CFO Report. The American Hospital Association and America's Essential Hospitals argue the rise won't cover…

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Editor's Note Inspired by a leader in the postanesthesia care department (PACU)? Here’s a chance to provide well-deserved recognition from the entire perioperative community. If you’re a member of the American Board of Perianesthesia Nursing Certification, Inc. (ABPANC), we have something for you as well: exclusive discounts to attend OR…

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Editor's Note Healthcare industry groups are calling for the federal government to streamline and ease the recently proposed cybersecurity incident reporting rule by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Fierce Healthcare reported July 8. According to the report, CISA's proposal imposes enhanced reporting requirements for critical infrastructure entities, including…

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Healthcare employment in the US rose by 49,000 from June to July, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, released on July 5. That is compared to an overall monthly gain of 206,000 in June. In June, healthcare employment also trended up in: ambulatory healthcare services…

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Editor's Note Expected to grow at an average annual rate of 5.6%, US healthcare spending will outpace GDP growth—projected at 4.3%--and rise to $7.7 trillion by 2032, according to a June 28 report in ASC focus. The $7.7 trillion figure amounts to 19.7% of GDP. The report is sourced from…

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Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration has announced class 1 recalls—the most severe category indicating risk of serious injury or death—for Abbot Medical’s HeartMate System Monitor and Philips Respironics OmniLab Advanced+ (OLA+) ventilator. According to the agency’s June 28 report, the recall of the HeartMate System Monitor, part…

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Editor's Note Amid continued debate about the best choice of preoperative skin antiseptic, findings published in JAMA June 17 show that povidone iodine in alcohol offers similar outcomes to chlorhexidine gluconate when used in alcohol. The randomized clinical trial included 3,360 patients in 3 tertiary care hospitals in Switzerland, 2,187…

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Editor's Note Findings published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons show how a standardized handoff protocol can improve OR communication and reduce the risk of error, Medical Xpress reported on June 19. The study focused specifically on SHRIMPS, a standardized handoff protocol developed by the quality improvement…

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Editor's Note Early-onset colorectal cancer (EO-CRC), diagnosed before age 50, is increasing in incidence worldwide. Despite existing postoperative colonoscopy surveillance strategies, the optimal intervals for EO-CRC patients are unclear due to limited long-term data. This study, titled “Early-onset Colorectal Cancer Patients Do Not Require Shorter Intervals for Post-surgical Surveillance Colonoscopy”…

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Editor's Note Increased demand for anesthesia services, especially in non-operating room (non-OR) sites, has outpaced the growth of anesthesia clinicians, a June 2024 special article published by the journal Anesthesiology reports. The imbalance in the anesthesia workforce supply and demand, the article argues, was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and…

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