Editor's Note Solid operating margins and an improved payer mix contributed to robust financial outcomes for HCA Healthcare in the first quarter of 2024, including “significant growth” in inpatient admissions, surgeries and emergency room visits, according to an April 29 article on Investing.com. According to the report, outpatient surgery revenue…

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Editor's Note Private payers initially deny reimbursement on 15% of claims, only to later approve more than half of those initial denials, according to a national survey of healthcare institutions published March 21 by Premiere, Inc. Additionally, the denied claims on average tend to be more prevalent for higher-cost treatments…

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Editor's Note Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) specializing in orthopedic and spine procedures are seeing a surge in growth, Orthopedics This Week April 2 reports. An "Impact of Change Forecast" report from Sg2, a Vizient Inc company, forecasts a 12% increase in orthopedics/spine ASCs in the next 5 years and a…

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Editor's Note Data collected from more than 1,300 hospitals nationwide for Kaufman Hall’s National Hospital Flash Report shows strong margins—averaging 3.9% in February—but does not account for significant, near-term headwinds, according to a March 28 article from HealthLeaders. Revenue growth is primarily from outpatient care, and inpatient revenue continues to…

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Editor's Note More CEOs are considering rural emergency hospital (REH) designation, according to a February 12 article in Becker’s Hospital CFO Report. In 2021, REH was established as a new Medicare provider type to enable struggling rural hospitals to continue operating with outpatient and emergency services only, instead of closing.…

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Editor's Note “Can cost and resiliency co-exist?” Michael Schiller, CMRP, executive director (interim) of the Association for Healthcare Resources and Materials Management—a professional membership group of the American Hospital Association—asked this session’s audience on the last day of the OR Business Management Conference. “They can co-exist,” he said, “but resiliency…

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Takeaways • Perioperative business managers can make significant contributions to a hospital’s financial health, but more than half of hospitals do not have this role. • Business managers’ earnings have increased in the past 5 years, while the number of direct reports has risen slightly. • The bachelor’s degree has…

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Editor's Note:  Investors see particular opportunity for mergers in healthcare and life sciences companies, Chief Healthcare Executive reported January 5. Citing the 2024 outlook of audit, tax, and advisory firm KPMG, the report notes that 61% of investors expect deal-making to increase in these sectors, while only 9% expect to…

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Editor's Note The 2024 forecast for nonprofit hospitals is likely to remain challenging, according to the latest annual Fitch Ratings outlook, Chief Healthcare Executive December 6 reports Some highlights of the report include:  The outlook for 2024, which was identified as “deteriorating,” is based on three ongoing challenges for nonprofit hospitals:…

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