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September 2025
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Health systems retreat from partnerships to control costs, refocus on core care

Editor's Note Some health systems are cutting ties with long-standing partners to conserve resources, brace for financial uncertainty, and prioritize core clinical services, Modern Healthcare June 26 reports. With looming federal reimbursement cuts and increasing economic pressures, providers are reassessing the value and sustainability of affiliations formed during more stable…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
June 27, 2025
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June poll results: How perioperative leaders are responding to tariffs and financial, supply chain pressures

The ongoing turbulence in global trade policy, particularly the re-escalation of tariffs on medical supplies from China and other countries, is weighing heavily on US healthcare operations. Sweeping US trade policy shifts this year are sparking great concern, but while 2025 has seen unprecedented tariff escalations and supply chain volatility,…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
June 26, 2025
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Healthcare finance leaders shift focus to external threats amid regulatory, economic uncertainty

Editor's Note A new Deloitte report shows healthcare finance leaders are increasingly focused on external business pressures, especially federal policy changes, tariffs, and economic volatility, Chief Healthcare Executive reported June 24. In contrast to prior surveys, where workforce and internal operations were top concerns, 84% of leaders now cite external…

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By: Matt Danford
June 26, 2025
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ASCs deliver lower costs but face uphill payment, regulatory challenges

Editor's Note Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) continue to offer significant cost savings over hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs), but payment inequities, regulatory constraints, and growing competitive pressures are straining operations and growth prospects. Recent data show wide cost differentials between settings, Becker’s ASC Review June 20 reports. A Blue Health Intelligence…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
June 25, 2025
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Major insurers pledge prior authorization reform

Editor's Note Nearly 50 major US health insurers—including UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Cigna, Elevance, and Humana—have pledged to reform prior authorization practices, with the goal of easing administrative burdens and improving access to care, according to a June 23 article in Healthcare Dive. As detailed in the article, the announcement came from…

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By: Matt Danford
June 25, 2025
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Survey: Drug shortages impact hospital labor costs

Editor's Note Hospitals spent nearly $900 million in labor last year managing drug shortages, dedicating over 20 million hours to activities such as sourcing alternatives, updating systems, and communicating with care teams, according to a new Vizient survey published June 17. Conducted in late 2023 and detailed in Vizient’s June…

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By: Matt Danford
June 24, 2025
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OR Business Management Summit Announces 2026 Program Committee 

Rockville, MD—June 24, 2025—OR Business Management Summit announced today its 2026 Program Committee—a dedicated, diverse team of perioperative business management leaders with deep experience in operational efficiency, financial performance, and strategic OR leadership. The event will take place February 9–11, 2026, at the Hilton Austin in Austin, TX.  A strategically…

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By: Barbara Cucci
June 24, 2025
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Bad debt climbs as patient defaults, denials impact hospital revenue growth

Editor's Note Bad debt—payments hospitals expected to collect but ultimately had to write off—is increasing across hospitals as patients struggle to pay their share of healthcare costs and insurers raise the rate of claim denials, Modern Healthcare reported June 19. Citing a Kaufman Hall analysis of data from about 700…

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By: Matt Danford
June 23, 2025
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Tariffs stir uncertainty in hospital supply chains, health insurance premiums

Editor's Note Recent reporting from Axios reveals hospitals and health insurers are reporting new concerns about rising tariffs and trade policy uncertainty, with the former delaying purchasing decisions and the latter planning premium increases as a result. In the first article, published June 18, the outlet reports that health system…

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By: Matt Danford
June 20, 2025
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Last call for OR Manager Award nominations

Editor's Note Do you know a perioperative leader who deserves to be honored before their peers at a gathering of virtually the entire industry? This is just one way we honor the recipients of our annual OR Manager Awards—OR Manager of the Year, PACU Leader of the Year, and Ambulatory…

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By: Matt Danford
June 20, 2025
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