In its January Bulletin, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) has published a review of what it calls “significant” updates to CPT coding, payment models, and physician reimbursement that have taken effect in 2026. Here’s what’s particularly on surgeons’ minds: “Coding changes for general surgery and related specialties.” ACS specifically…

Read More

Sahan Journal, a nonprofit digital newsroom dedicated to reporting for immigrants and communities of color in Minnesota, reported that dozens of healthcare professionals and community members expressed concern about the presence of federal immigration officers at Minneapolis’ Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) at a Hennepin County Board of Commissioners meeting…

Read More

The Joint Commission's new Accreditation 360 standard has arrived. Accreditation and regulatory compliance consultant John R. Rosing, MHA, LFACHE, vice president and principal at Patton Healthcare Consulting, says perioperative leaders must understand what has changed and what remains the same, as well as focus on their risk areas, to best…

Read More

Last week, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it will award all 50 U.S. states funding under its Rural Health Transformation (RHT) program “to strengthen and modernize health care in rural communities across the country.” The initiative is intended to provide what the government estimates is…

Read More

On Dec. 29, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it will award all 50 U.S. states funding under its Rural Health Transformation (RHT) program “to strengthen and modernize health care in rural communities across the country.” The initiative is intended to provide what the government estimates is…

Read More

At October’s 2025 OR Manager Conference, accreditation and regulatory compliance consultant John R. Rosing, MHA, LFACHE, vice president and principal at Patton Healthcare Consulting, advised perioperative leaders to be up to speed with the latest requirements in The Joint Commission's Accreditation 360: The New Standard. This update, released in June…

Read More

Editor's Note HHS is seeking public input on how the federal agency can accelerate adoption and use of AI as part of clinical care in the United States, according to a Request for Information (RFI) released on December 19. Through this RFI, stakeholders are invited to provide feedback on how…

Read More

Editor's Note Joint Commission has posted its updated Survey Process Guides (SPGs) for hospitals and critical access hospitals on its website, according to the December 10 issue of Joint Commission Online. The SPGs, which are effective January 1, 2026, represent a major revision that replaces the Survey Activity Guide for…

Read More

Editor's Note Language access should be considered more than a patient experience issue because it’s also required for safety and accreditation, according to a December 2 story in Becker’s Hospital Review. One example is Joint Commission’s new National Performance Goals that take effect in January 2026, specifically NPGs 4 and…

Read More

Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a letter on Medicaid funding November 17 with preliminary guidance for states regarding the implementation of new federal requirements on health care-related (provider) taxes in Medicaid. Per the letter, which was described in a news release at CMS.org, the…

Read More