Safety A year ago at this time, healthcare facilities were busy resuming elective procedures that had been put on hold because of COVID-19—a feat that required agility, innovation, and collaboration to ensure staff and patient safety amid the ongoing pandemic. It’s remarkable that multiple vaccines have since been developed and administered…
Does compassionate care really matter? Clinical evidence points to a resounding Yes. “When healthcare providers take the time to make human connections that help end suffering, patient outcomes improve, and medical costs decrease. Among other benefits, compassion reduces pain, improves healing, lowers blood pressure, and helps alleviate depression and anxiety,”…
Reforms are underway to curb surprise billing practices, with new federal government regulations due to be published by July 1 as part of the No Surprises Act passed by Congress in late 2020. Among many other provisions, the new law will require insurance providers to be more transparent about prices…
Amendments have been added to the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) standard ANSI/AAMI ST79, Comprehensive Guide to Steam Sterilization and Sterility Assurance in Health Care Facilities. The standard, which is used in healthcare facilities to guide their sterilization processes, is considered a useful resource to promote best…
Unexpected benefits can arise from unexpected circumstances. Relatively new nurse leaders at two different facilities have found this to be true, for different reasons. Both have faced sudden changes that made their jobs more difficult but also gave them opportunities for growth. When the director of ambulatory care at Brigham…
A global pandemic did not stop the proliferation of joint ventures between ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and hospitals in 2020. The trend continues in 2021, as federal regulators expand on the types of procedures that can be performed in the ambulatory setting. Hospitals are recognizing the need for a surgery…
Surgical smoke is a complex issue that has not gained a lot of traction over the years. Legislation to mandate smoke evacuation was introduced more than 20 years ago, but the first law wasn’t passed until 2018, and only three US states thus far have enacted legislation. Release of The…
Non-physician surgical first assistants (FAs) perform a variety of tasks—everything from closing an incision and inserting drains to harvesting veins for bypass procedures and preparing anterior cruciate ligament grafts. A significant benefit of FAs is shorter case times, which may help reduce patient morbidity and mortality and increase case volumes.…
Editor’s Note. This article presents value-based analyses on the use of Mako robotic technology in total knee, partial knee, and total hip arthroplasty. The authors are with Stryker Orthopaedics in Mahwah, New Jersey. Joint arthroplasty is an effective procedure to treat advanced osteoarthritis of the hips and knees. It…
Most high-performing ORs share something in common—an anesthesia group that is actively engaged in perioperative leadership, takes responsibility for organizational performance, and is fully invested in the success of the OR. Unfortunately, in many ORs, anesthesia providers focus narrowly on services and procedures, not the total performance of the surgery…
