Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have launched a public Request for Information (RFI) to identify and eliminate outdated healthcare regulations, according to a May 13 press release from the FDA. The move supports a broader federal deregulatory…
Editor's Note Nonprofit hospitals, which are legally required to provide free or discounted care to qualifying patients, attempt to collect hundreds of millions of dollars from low-income patients annually while receiving significant tax breaks meant to ensure affordable care, according to a May 12 article from CBS News. As…
Editor's Note Terry A. Bohlke, MSHA, CPA, CMA, CASC, emphasized that Rocky Mountain High Surgery Center is a pseudonym “to protect the innocent,” but the numbers he presented at the 2025 Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) Conference & Expo in Denver last week were real enough. Based on actual scenarios…
Editor's Note Tariffs on medical equipment and supplies continue to climb—a situation that calls for action on the part of healthcare organizations, according to an April 23 article from nonprofit safety organization ECRI. The article highlights ten proactive steps organizations can take to protect both care quality and the bottom…
Editor's Note Tariff-fueled market volatility is jeopardizing the investment returns that nonprofit hospitals rely on to bolster liquidity, manage debt, and weather ongoing operational headwinds, according to an April 16 report in Fierce Healthcare. As detailed in the article, hospitals face a dual threat: higher direct costs on supplies and…
Editor's Note One cyberattack can unravel years of work and financial stability for a surgical practice. That’s the central warning in an April 9 commentary by Lenworth M. Jacobs Jr., MD, MPH, FACS, professor of surgery at the University of Connecticut and director of the Trauma Institute at Hartford Hospital.…
Editor's Note President Donald Trump’s latest round of tariffs—especially steep duties on Chinese imports—has sharply divided the medical community, with device manufacturers urging exemptions while some US-based PPE producers cheer the protectionist move. CNBC reported the news April 16. The tariff rate on China is 145%, the outlet reports, while…
Editor's Note Chasing size through mega-mergers no longer guarantees sustainability for health systems, according to an April 15 article in HealthLeaders. Many of the nation’s largest systems are reporting significant losses, while emerging evidence links consolidation to stagnant or declining care quality and worsening workforce challenges. The article highlights financial…
Editor's Note The OR Manager Conference announces Dan Weberg, PhD, MHI, RN, FAAN, executive director of nursing workforce development and innovation at Kaiser Permanente, as the opening keynote speaker. Dr. Weberg—ER nurse turned executive, innovation expert, and nationally recognized thought leader—will deliver “Healthcare’s ‘Blockbuster Moment’: Innovation, disruption, and the future…
Editor's Note A sharp drop in 2025 brings hospital and health system mergers and acquisitions to their lowest point in years, according to Kaufman Hall’s most recent Mergers and Acquisitions Quarterly Activity Report. Just five transactions were announced in Q1, a steep decline attributed to widespread economic volatility, concerns over…