Editor's Note Medtech companies are scrambling to contain the financial damage from rising tariffs without passing costs onto hospitals, according to a May 2 report in Modern Healthcare. Executives from industry leaders including Johnson & Johnson, GE HealthCare, and Intuitive Surgical outlined mitigation efforts during recent earnings calls, with most…
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 Tenet Healthcare and HCA Healthcare delivered robust first-quarter (Q1) earnings, bolstered by steady inpatient demand and operational discipline—but both hospital giants are treading carefully amid policy and market uncertainties, according to earnings reports covered by Healthcare Dive on April 28 and Trading View on April 29. Tenet reported…
In the OR, precision and focus can mean the difference between life and death. However, surgical patient outcomes hinge on more than the competence of those working in these inherently intense environments. Every procedure also depends on the laborious, behind-the-scenes efforts of the people responsible for ensuring every surgical instrument…
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…
Becoming a perioperative nurse generally does not require certification. However, expectations can change quickly for those hoping to climb the career ladder. For some, expectations are also changing for how knowledge and skills should be assessed. Rather than taking an exam, this subset of specialty nurses earn certification by submitting…
Editor's Note Bariatric surgery improves survival and appears cost-effective over a decade for patients with obesity and compensated cirrhosis, according to an April 18 report in Healio. The findings, based on an analysis published in JAMA Surgery, suggest that bariatric surgery could fill a crucial gap in care for this…
Editor's Note For some surgeons, treating patients goes hand-in-hand with healing the environment. Consider an April 23 report in Medical Xpress. Detailing sustainability efforts at Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center by pediatric surgeon Ami Shah, MD, and her colleague Brian Gulack, MD, the article showcases how rethinking everyday surgical routines…
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 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…