The economy is hitting hospitals hard. For elective surgery, the picture is only starting to emerge. Hospitals' median total margins shrank to near zero in the third quarter of 2008—an unprecedented low, according to a Thomson Reuters analysis of data from 439 hospitals. This was primarily because of a drop…

Read More

Second of a 2-part article. The OR consumes the most expensive and often the highest volume of supplies in the hospital. OR managers want to make sure their chargemasters are up to date so patient bills will accurately reflect services provided. They also want to make sure they are complying…

Read More

Physician preference savings opportunities Price improvement: 5% to 10% Standardization (fewer companies or brands): 20% to 25% Utilization (changing consumption behavior): 65% to 75% Source: Wellspring Partners. As one of the hospital's biggest revenue and cost centers, ORs are a big target for expense reduction in these tough economic times.…

Read More

There's no question health care is sharing the nation's economic woes. Hospitals and other facilities face shrinking revenue, tighter credit, and ever-rising costs. "The economy is a huge problem, but for supply chain professionals, it could be the opportunity of a lifetime," says Jamie C. Kowalski, MBA, FACHE, FAAHC, FAHRMM,…

Read More

With no bailout in sight, health care needs to invent its own version of the hybrid car—become more efficient and cost-effective—to survive the economic downturn, one consultant quips. The times will challenge OR leaders to do even more to reduce costs and streamline operations. "We will all need to pitch…

Read More

Managing the costs of procedures with implants continues to be a juggling act for OR directors and business managers. Total joint replacements, once profitable, have seen prices climb while Medicare reimbursement slides. Some spinal procedures still have a positive margin because the surgery is more often performed in younger patients…

Read More

Spinal surgery is a costly specialty that strains OR budgets. The wide variation in techniques and costly technology make it difficult to manage. Challenges go beyond rods and screws. An array of biologics, such as bone morphogenic protein (BMP) and demineralized bone matrix (DBM) can add thousands of dollars to…

Read More

Health care facilities like other businesses face tough economic headwinds. Tightening credit, plummeting investment values, and the prospect of less philanthropic giving make for a difficult financial climate. There's also likely to be more uncompensated care as unemployment rises, and state Medicaid programs cut back. OR directors and business managers,…

Read More

For the first time, the government has issued a favorable ruling on a spinalfusion surgery gainsharing arrangement between a hospital and physicians. In the ruling, issued July 31, the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) explains why it won't impose sanctions for the arrangement, which could potentially…

Read More

The community turned out to help sandbag at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As Mercy Medical Center's OR nurses were readying their patients for their 7:30 am cases on June 12, the Cedar River, some 10 blocks away, was edging dangerously close to the top of its banks.…

Read More