Editor's Note Released April 9 by the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) and KPMG LLP,  the KPMG Supply Chain Stability Index reveals an overall improvement in supply chain stability throughout 2023. However, points of weakness persist. According to the index, factors preventing a complete return to pre-pandemic normalcy include the…

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Approximately one in 31 hospital patients has at least one infection on any given day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In surgical settings, the risk is even higher, with up to 7% of patients developing an infection during surgery. These infections can lead to a…

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Sterile Processing Department (SPD) managers and technicians know a thing or two about pressure. In a recent webinar covering sterile processing basics, Cori L. Ofstead, MSPH, president and CEO of Ofstead & Associates, Inc, and Abby Smart, MPH, research associate, cited the example of a 480-bed hospital that performed 13,650…

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Editor’s Note A new automated delivery system for anesthesia that has been effectively tested in monkeys could eventually be used by doctors to identify and deliver the right dose of drugs in people. The findings appeared October 31 in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United…

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Over my 40-year career—after starting at the bedside in surgical intensive care, moving to emergency medicine, and then to perioperative services—I have been fortunate to progress into executive leadership positions in academic medical center health systems and community hospitals, consult with a top global advisory firm, and now work in…

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Editor's Note As cyber attacks on healthcare organizations continue to rise in number, the US department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a report examining the role of automation in cybersecurity, December 13 Health Care Dive reports. According to cybersecurity company, Sophos, the percentage of ransomware attacks on healthcare…

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Hospitals and health systems know they are attractive targets for cybercriminals. When lives are at stake, and the victims are often insured, ransomware gangs can expect a quick and easy payout. But since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, hospitals have had to face a new reality: The…

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Editor's Note Machine learning (ML) models designed by surgeons at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston show a high level of accuracy in predicting which types of patients are most likely to have a hernia recurrence or other complications after surgery in this study. Of 725…

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Editor's Note Researchers at the University of Florida (UF) have helped develop a testing device that can detect COVID-19 infection within 30 seconds, with the sensitivity and accuracy of a PCR test. The hand-held device is powered by a 9-volt battery and uses test strips similar to those used in…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on March 30, announced that it had contracted with Dynamic Health IT to help develop a new Direct Data Submission Platform (DDSP) and electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) engine. The DDSP will facilitate submission of quality measurement data directly to The Joint Commission from approximately…

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