Mind the gap: Why Medicare pays ASCs less than HOPDs—and what that means
For decades, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) have shown their ability to deliver high-quality surgical care at substantially lower cost than hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs). ASCs achieve these savings through leaner operations, streamlined staffing models, and specialty-focused efficiencies, not by compromising safety or outcomes. Studies consistently highlight procedures performed in ASCs…
Immigration raids are driving patients back to telehealth and ERs
Editor's Note Providers are reviving pandemic-era telehealth strategies as stepped-up federal immigration raids deter some patients from visiting clinics, KFF Health News reports via HealthLeaders August 14. With families fearful of arrest following the Trump administration’s rollback of protections for “sensitive” areas such as hospitals and schools, physicians report sharp…
Celebrate National ASC Month with exclusive OR Manager insights
Editor's Note As we begin National Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Month, we’ve been reflecting on all OR Manager has to offer this critical subset of our audience—and all that is yet to come. First, why celebrate ASCs, and how to get involved? According to the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association…
Deadline extended for OR Manager Awards nominations
Editor's Note The nomination deadline for the 2025 OR Manager Awards has been extended to July 30, providing extra time to recognize the perioperative leaders who inspire you most. Each year, the OR Manager of the Year, PACU Leader of the Year, and Ambulatory Nurse Leader of the Year are…
New collaboration links National Trauma Awareness Month, Stop the Bleed Month
Editor's Note America’s Blood Centers (ABC) and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Stop the Bleed program have launched a national collaboration to strengthen trauma response and emergency preparedness, according to a May 30 announcement. The initiative connects public education in bleeding control with efforts to maintain a stable national…
Renewed push for healthcare price transparency faces familiar challenges
Editor's Note Although a recent executive order from President Donald Trump aims to make hospitals and insurers reveal negotiated prices, data inconsistencies and a lack of consumer usability continue to hinder progress, according to a March 31 article from NPR. As detailed in the report, the executive order builds on…
Hospital closures rise in 2025 amid ongoing financial pressures
Editor's Note Ten hospitals have reportedly closed 3 months into the year, with five shuttering in February alone—a stark escalation compared to the 25 closures reported in 2024 and 14 in 2023, Becker’s Hospital Review March 21 reports. This troubling trend raises questions about the mounting difficulties hospitals face, from…
Montana legislators' prior authorization reform push mirrors national trends
Editor's Note Montana legislators are moving to restrict health insurers’ use of prior authorization as frustration over the practice mounts nationwide, KFF News reported February 13. The outlet reports that two Democratic and Republican lawmakers have introduced or are drafting bills for the 2025 Montana Legislature to limit these insurer-mandated…
States push to expand nurse practice authority
Editor's Note Recent legislative efforts in Florida and Mississippi aim to expand the authority of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) with measures that would remove supervisory requirements and allow independent practice for certain nurse practitioners. The efforts underscore an ongoing, nationwide debate over the role of APRNs in addressing provider…
Union nurses rally for greater staff, patient protection amid AI rollout
Editor's Note Thousands of RNs nationwide plan to rally in support of safer staff and patients today, January 16, amid widespread introduction of technologies driven by artificial intelligence (AI), according to National Nurses United (NNU). NNU reported on the plans January 14, noting that more than 100,000 members of the…
Free Daily News
- Suicide Prevention Month: Hospitals prepare for new The Joint Commission suicide prevention goal, effective 2026
- Survey: Perioperative leaders adapt to supply strain, staffing pressure, ASC growth
- Gait retraining eases knee osteoarthritis pain as effectively as medication, can delay knee surgery
- OR leaders must sharpen questions, partnerships as AI reshapes perioperative care
- npj Digital Surgery opens call for research on AI, robotics in the OR
- AI in the OR can sharpen skills, but humans make the lessons stick
- Endoscopy case highlights risks of complex patients in ASCs
- Robotics and AI are redefining precision in cataract surgery
- CMS plan to phase out inpatient only list sparks debate over safety for vulnerable patients
- ACS issues new best practices for managing genitourinary trauma