Editor's Note Low-dose dexmedetomidine effectively stabilizes blood pressure and heart rate during key perioperative stages in gastrointestinal tumor patients with moderate to severe anxiety, according to a July 1 study published in BMC Psychiatry.   Researchers enrolled 100 patients undergoing elective laparoscopic gastrointestinal tumor resection. Anxiety levels were measured using…

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Editor's Note Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) continue to offer significant cost savings over hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs), but payment inequities, regulatory constraints, and growing competitive pressures are straining operations and growth prospects. Recent data show wide cost differentials between settings, Becker’s ASC Review June 20 reports. A Blue Health Intelligence…

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Editor's Note Nearly 50 major US health insurers—including UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Cigna, Elevance, and Humana—have pledged to reform prior authorization practices, with the goal of easing administrative burdens and improving access to care, according to a June 23 article in Healthcare Dive. As detailed in the article, the announcement came from…

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Editor's Note A Florida transplant team has performed the first-ever heart-liver transplant in a patient supported by a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), offering a potential new treatment route for those previously ineligible due to high rejection risk, CBS News reported June 21. The patient, whose antibody levels placed her…

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Editor's Note Bariatric surgery produced five times greater weight loss than GLP-1 medications in a new study of over 51,000 patients with obesity, according to a June 18 article from Fox News. The retrospective study, funded by the NIH and conducted by researchers at NYU Langone Health and NYC Health…

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Editor's Note Recent reporting from Axios reveals hospitals and health insurers are reporting new concerns about rising tariffs and trade policy uncertainty, with the former delaying purchasing decisions and the latter planning premium increases as a result. In the first article, published June 18, the outlet reports that health system…

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Editor's Note New research shows surgical patients in the US face a significantly greater risk of food insecurity than nonsurgical patients, even after adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic differences. Findings also point to potential underutilization of the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits among surgical patients, study authors write.  …

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Editor's Note Patients hospitalized with sepsis who have limited English proficiency (LEP) face significantly higher odds of dying in the hospital even after accounting for multiple demographic and clinical factors, according to research presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference by researchers from UC San Diego. Healio reported the…

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Editor's Note New clinical guidelines emphasize that safe and equitable perioperative care for transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) patients hinges on affirming communication, tailored medical assessments, and culturally competent practice. According to a peer-reviewed article published in the June issue of Nursing, perioperative teams must adopt evidence-based, inclusive approaches to better…

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Editor's Note A well-fitted bra dramatically cut post-sternotomy wound rates to zero at a Denver hospital, showing how nurse-driven innovation can improve outcomes and reduce costs, Critical Care Nurse May 28 reports. In the article, “The Bra Project: Preventing Wounds in Women After Sternotomy,” appearing in the journal’s June 2025…

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