From sharps and blood-soaked surgical instruments to discarded anesthetic agents, biohazardous waste from ORs can threaten human health and the environment. In addition, failure to adhere to regulatory requirements can result in significant fines. However, the volume and diversity of biohazardous waste can create challenges with managing this material. Mitigating…

Read More

Editor's Note Large employers are warning hospitals they will not absorb higher costs if plans by Republicans and the Trump administration for deep Medicaid cuts proceed, a February 28 article in Modern Healthcare reports. The threat of reduced Medicaid funding has reignited concerns about hospitals shifting costs onto employers and…

Read More

Editor’s Note Pregnancy complications—including life-threatening sepsis—surged in Texas after the state banned abortion in 2021, according to a ProPublica analysis of seven years’ worth of state hospital data. In a February 20 report, the outlet details how sepsis rates for women hospitalized after second-trimester pregnancy loss rose by more than…

Read More

Editor's Note Montana legislators are moving to restrict health insurers’ use of prior authorization as frustration over the practice mounts nationwide, KFF News reported February 13. The outlet reports that two Democratic and Republican lawmakers have introduced or are drafting bills for the 2025 Montana Legislature to limit these insurer-mandated…

Read More

Editor's Note Recent legislative efforts in Florida and Mississippi aim to expand the authority of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) with measures that would remove supervisory requirements and allow independent practice for certain nurse practitioners. The efforts underscore an ongoing, nationwide debate over the role of APRNs in addressing provider…

Read More

Editor's Note Only humans should be called nurses, argues Oregon State Representative Travis Nelson, a Portland Democrat and practicing nurse who recently introduced new legislation aiming to prevent the title from applying to artificial intelligence (AI) or any non-human entity. As detailed in a February 4 report from Nurse.org, House…

Read More

Editor's Note As executive director of the Association for Health Care Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM), Michael Schiller, CMRP, gets regular insight into strategies employed by healthcare organizations, suppliers, technology leaders and frontline staff—insight he was happy to share with OR business Management Conference attendees in a February 11 presentation.…

Read More

Editor's Note A January 31 statement from the American Medical Association (AMA) announces the organization’s support for bipartisan legislation aiming to reverse steep Medicare reimbursement reductions threatening physician practices and patient care access. Introduced by a coalition of 10 House members, the "Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act" would…

Read More

Editor's Note Bipartisan legislation seeks to combat nursing shortages by financially incentivizing experienced nurses to train the next generation of healthcare professionals, Becker’s Clinical Leadership reported January 31. The Precept Nurses Act, introduced by Rep. Jen Kiggans, would offer a $2,000 tax credit to nurses who become preceptors in health…

Read More

Editor's Note More than 300,000 healthcare positions within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have been exempted from a federal hiring freeze ordered by President Donald Trump on January 20, ensuring continuity in care for veterans. Military.com reported the news January 23. According to the article, acting VA Secretary Todd…

Read More