HFMA warns affordability crisis is driving up provider bad debt
Editor's Note According to a Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) analysis, the US healthcare system is in “serious condition,” with affordability collapsing and provider financial risk escalating, HealthLeaders September 19 reports. The group’s new Healthcare Vitals Tracker scored the industry just 35.9 out of 100, compared to a peak of…
AAAHC report spotlights top accreditation deficiencies, strategies for safer ambulatory care
Editor's Note Ambulatory care leaders can now sharpen compliance strategies with the release of the 2025 Quality Roadmap from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), published September 22. The annual report distills more than a year of survey findings into practical guidance for addressing the most common accreditation…
Surgical leaders urged to weigh risks, rewards of innovation with a critical eye
Editor's Note Innovation is transforming surgical care faster than most institutions can keep pace, but leaders must distinguish between investments that advance patient care and those that add cost without meaningful benefit. That is the central message from a September 8 Harvard Medical School article featuring insights from Jon O.…
AI could shrink drug discovery from years to months, expert says
Editor's Note Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to overhaul drug development, with DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis predicting that discovery timelines could shrink from more than a decade to just months. In a September 13 article from the Times of India, Hassabis described how AI models can identify drug candidates faster,…
AMA 2026 CPT code set expands with AI, remote monitoring, leg revascularization updates
Editor's Note The American Medical Association (AMA) has released the 2026 Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code set, introducing 288 new codes that capture emerging technologies and modern care delivery models, the association announced on September 11. In total, the update includes 418 changes: 84 deletions, 46 revisions, and the newly…
Survey: Depression, loneliness surge among young and low-income adults
Editor's Note Depression rates in the US remain at historic highs, affecting more than 47 million adults, with young people and lower-income households experiencing the sharpest increases, a Gallup survey published on September 9 reports. The latest survey shows 18.3% of adults currently report having or being treated for depression,…
Rural hospitals face crisis under OBBBA as experts call for cohesive reform
Editor's Note The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) is set to reshape rural healthcare in ways that could destabilize already fragile systems. According to a September 3 JAMA Network article, the law is set to reduce federal Medicaid spending by more than $900 billion over 10 years, cuts that…
Sameness in nursing care puts patients at risk
Editor's Note Treating every patient the same may feel fair, but it can be dangerous, according to a September 2025 article from the American Journal of Nursing, which argues that cultural indifference in nursing practice undermines patient safety and trust. Per the article, person-centered care requires more than standardized protocols.…
CMS’s plan to phase out inpatient-only list could bolster rural ASCs
Editor's Note The proposal from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to eliminate the Medicare Inpatient Only (IPO) list over 3 years could significantly expand opportunities for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), with rural facilities among those positioned to benefit most, Ambulatory Surgery Center News August 12 reports. The…
Medicare Advantage patients see lower perioperative costs than traditional Medicare peers
Editor's Note Surgical episodes for Medicare Advantage (MA) patients cost less and used fewer resources than those for traditional Medicare (TM) beneficiaries, according to a JAMA Health Forum study published August 1. Researchers analyzed 1.18 million procedures performed on 1.11 million beneficiaries and found 30-day episode costs were 3.1% lower…
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- HFMA warns affordability crisis is driving up provider bad debt
- Report warns sterile processing staffing crisis threatens surgical safety
- Ascension swings to profit as outpatient push, cost cuts take hold
- High BMI alone did not raise early complication risk after outpatient TJA
- AAAHC report spotlights top accreditation deficiencies, strategies for safer ambulatory care
- ACS conference charts bold future for surgical quality with data, teamwork, frontline innovation
- Surgical leaders urged to weigh risks, rewards of innovation with a critical eye
- Health systems report dramatic nurse retention gains through residency, development programs
- Surgical innovation redefines what is possible for advanced colorectal cancer
- CMS proposal to end inpatient only list draws strong industry response