Running an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) is not for the faint of heart. ASC leaders are navigating tight margins, stricter-than-ever quality reporting, lean staffing resources, payer squeeze, and a relentless push to be profitable without proper support. And yet, the ASC market is booming. The number of Medicare-certified ASCs has…

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Editor's Note A recent article from Cleveland Clinic details the use of confidential staff forums to address barriers to escalating patient care concerns, resulting in greater caregiver engagement and targeted improvements. Published July 25, the article describes how nursing leaders collaborated with the Cleveland Clinic Alliance for Patient and Caregiver…

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Editor's Note Healthcare employment in the US rose by 55,000 from July to August, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), released on August 1. Higher than the average over the prior 12 months of 42,000, the rise in healthcare employment compares to an overall…

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Perioperative leaders often have to make critical decisions, not just in the middle of an operational crisis but also somewhere in the edges—the routine but still high-stakes moments where leaders need to adjust resources or absorb costs under tight constraints. The economic margin for error continues to narrow, and many…

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Editor's Note A recent article from HIT Consultant highlights findings from Incredible Health’s 2025 State of US Nursing & Technicians Report, revealing mounting strain across the nursing and healthcare technician workforce. Reportedly based on insights from more than 1 million professionals, findings include:  71% of nurses report that staffing shortages…

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Editor’s Note: This page is a companion piece to the main article, Emergency preparedness: Identifying essential supplies for unplanned surgical events. While the main article outlines the principles of emergency readiness and supply preparation in the OR, the posts below offer a closer look at two key implementation areas: Supply…

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Editor's Note A July 16 study published in BMC Research Notes found that mental fatigue among perioperative nurses is significantly associated with increased rates of missed perioperative nursing care.  This cross-sectional study surveyed 385 operating room nurses working in university-affiliated hospitals in East Azerbaijan, Iran. Participants met inclusion criteria related…

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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…

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Editor's Note Designating underused neurosurgery blocks for straightforward ENT procedures increased surgical volume and reduced wait times at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco, according to a July 3 report from the Children’s Hospital Association’s 2025 Transforming Quality Conference. The initiative began in early 2024, when ENT leaders and surgical…

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Editor's Note Gen Z nurses are leaving the workforce in droves, and CNOs must adapt their leadership strategies to keep them. That’s according to a July 21 HealthLeaders report on the Nurse Experience 2025 analysis from Press Ganey, which found that 24% of Gen Z registered nurses left the workforce…

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