Regulations/Legal
Brief NIH funding halt sparks backlash
Editor's Note The Trump administration paused new NIH research grants and contracts, prompting widespread concern before abruptly reversing course, according to a July 30 article in Forbes. Citing a separate report in STAT, the article details how the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed the NIH to suspend new…
Judge orders restoration of deleted federal health data
Editor's Note A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore health-related webpages and datasets removed under a January executive order, according to a July 29 article in Medscape. The ruling follows a lawsuit by Doctors for America and the city and county of San Francisco, which argued that…
Joint Commission to tailor accreditation standards for children’s hospitals
Editor's Note The Joint Commission has launched a new strategy to revise its accreditation and certification programs to better reflect the distinct needs of pediatric care. According to a July 29 announcement, the effort responds to requests from the children’s health community and aims to revise or remove standards that…
Consistent staff engagement helps ASCs prevent lawsuits, spot deeper issues early
Editor's Note Regular check-ins and visible leadership can help ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) head off legal trouble before it starts. That is the central message from employment attorney Salvatore Puccio on a recent episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, Ambulatory Surgery Center News July 23 reports. Puccio, a partner…
FDA designates Class I recall for disposable surgical stapler cartridge correction
Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated the recall of Ethicon Endo-Surgery, LLC’s Endopath Echelon Vascular White Reload for Advanced Placement Tip a Class I, the most severe category indicating risk of serious injury or death. As detailed in the agency’s July 25 announcement, the recall…
FDA designates Class I recall for arterial cannulae due to exposed wire risk
Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated a Class I recall—the most severe category indicating risk of serious injury or death—for several models of arterial cannulae manufactured by Edwards Lifesciences. Affected products include OptiSite Arterial Perfusion Cannula models OPTI16 and OPTI18, as well as Peripheral Femoral…
FDA designates Class I recall for mobile lift component
Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated Baxter’s recall of the Q-Link 13 mobile lift component a Class I, the most severe category indicating risk of serious injury or death. As detailed in the agency’s July 23 announcement, the optional component connects to sling bars on…
CMS payment overhaul could cut specialist pay
Editor's Note A “quiet transformation” in how Medicare pays doctors could reduce payments for specialty care, including rates for billing codes associated with surgery, diagnostic imaging, outpatient care, pain management, and orthopedics, Modern Healthcare July 22 reports. According to the article, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 2026…
Navigating OR construction design, compliance, approval in a booming ASC market
Editor’s Note: This page is a companion piece to the main article, Proper planning prevents OR construction, renovation cost creep. It brings together four focused updates on OR and ambulatory surgery center (ASC) construction and renovation: Regulatory shifts: The Joint Commission's updated safety and sustainability requirements for hospitals and ASCs, including new…
FDA issues safety alert for Baxter Novum IQ large volume pumps
Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an early alert for Baxter’s Novum IQ Large Volume Pumps (Model 40700BAXUS) due to potential for underinfusion when transitioning from a flow rate to a higher flow rate (eg, rate change or bolus). According to the agency’s July 22…
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- Sustainable surgery can cut costs, reduce emissions, improve care, review finds
- Study: Surgical hospital closures hit vulnerable communities hardest
- Federal pushback on CHAI exposes rifts over who should set healthcare AI rules
- High prices, not overuse, keep US healthcare costs far above peer nations
- Children’s Health Dallas takes top national spot in pediatric ortho surgery as US News names 2025–26 ‘Best Children’s Hospitals’
- FDA issues Class I alert for Abiomed Impella heart device over cybersecurity risks
- Study finds Medicare paid nearly $2 billion for unnecessary back surgeries
- FDA accelerates medical device safety alerts to reach public within days
- California’s worsening nurse shortage fuels burnout, safety concerns amid management tensions