Tag: Financial costs

Low-income patients billed despite hospital tax breaks

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…

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By: Matt Danford
May 13, 2025
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Federal grant cuts threaten hospital disaster readiness

Editor's Note Eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) key disaster preparedness grants could weaken hospital infrastructure and jeopardize care during future crises, according to a May 5 report in Modern Healthcare. As detailed in the article, the Trump administration has cut $3.3 billion in annual funding by ending the…

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By: Matt Danford
May 8, 2025
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Study: Inadequate RN staffing raises patient mortality, costs

Editor's Note Short-staffed hospital wards face higher patient mortality, readmissions, and lengthier stays—especially when they rely on temporary staff instead of permanent registered nurses, according to research published in BMJ Quality & Safety.  As detailed in a summary from Medscape News UK, the large-scale, longitudinal observational study was led by…

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By: Matt Danford
May 7, 2025
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Medtech giants move fast to blunt tariff impact without raising prices

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…

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By: Matt Danford
May 6, 2025
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ASCA 2025: Leading lawmaker reflects on surgery center priorities

Editor's Note At the 2025 Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) conference, discussion of legislative priorities extended beyond educational sessions. Thanks to a visit from the ranking lawmaker of the congressional subcommittee responsible for most healthcare policymaking, attendees also got first-hand insight into the latest negotiations on Capitol Hill. US Representative…

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By: Matt Danford
May 6, 2025
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ASCA 2025: How accounting becomes an ASC revenue generator

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…

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By: Matt Danford
May 6, 2025
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Proactive strategies help healthcare supply chains withstand tariff pressures

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…

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By: Matt Danford
April 28, 2025
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Nurse credentialing pioneers swap exams for perioperative experiences

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…

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By: James X Stobinski and Julia Johnson
April 24, 2025
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Rethinking OR routines reduces waste, costs while protecting environment

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…

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By: Matt Danford
April 23, 2025
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Market volatility threatens hospitals’ liquidity as tariff-driven costs rise

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…

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By: Matt Danford
April 18, 2025
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