Editor's Note Three days of education and networking await perioperative leaders attending this week’s OR Manager Conference, which runs through Thursday, October 30, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. By the time Dan Weberg, PhD, MHI, RN, FAAN, takes the stage Tuesday morning with his opening keynote, "Healthcare’s…

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Editor's Note Hospitals can reduce anesthesia costs by up to 30% and significantly curb provider burnout by embracing technology-enabled collaboration with anesthesiology practices, Surgical Directions August 27 reports. The report outlines how rising demand, workforce shortages, and variable pay structures have pushed anesthesia expenditures up sharply in recent years. Traditional…

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Editor's Note Financial hardship is widespread among the US healthcare workforce, with the lowest-paid workers facing rates of poverty and food insecurity comparable to those seen in the general population, JAMA Network October 22 reports. Drawing from 2020–2023 data in the US Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation, researchers…

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Editor's Note The nursing shortage in California is deepening, with RN vacancies projected to grow from 3.7% in 2024 to 16.7% by 2033, HealthLeaders and KFF Health News October 8 report. The researchers cite inadequate training and retention pipelines, while nurses on the front lines say mismanagement, understaffing, and profit…

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Editor's Note This year, the OR Manager Conference promises playbooks attendees can put to work the day they return home. The event, being held in Anaheim on October 28–30, targets the system-level goals perioperative leaders are accountable for: capacity, cost, culture, and safety across multi-site enterprises. Attendees will get concrete…

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Editor's Note The government shutdown has halted operations at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), delaying the release of crucial economic data at a time when job growth is already faltering, Newsweek October 1 reports. The BLS confirmed it will suspend all data collection and reporting during the shutdown, including…

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Editor's Note Following yesterday’s update on the impact of the federal government shutdown on telehealth and Affordable Care Act disruptions, the shutdown is also straining military health systems, biomedical research, and disease prevention programs, creating ripple effects for patient care and surgical innovation, Politico October 1 reports. While Medicare, Medicaid,…

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Editor's Note A federal shutdown has halted critical healthcare programs, disrupted Medicare telehealth and hospital-at-home coverage, and escalated partisan conflict over the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid, multiple outlets report, including HealthLeaders October 1 and KFF Health News. The budget impasse reportedly is leaving both patients and providers in…

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Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has launched a new online tool that helps patients and families locate hospitals recognized for delivering high-quality surgical care, according to an August 26 ACS announcement. The “Find a Hospital” tool highlights facilities that have earned ACS accreditation or verification through an…

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Editor's Note Culture change in healthcare does not come from quick fixes or sweeping overhauls but from steady, intentional leadership, said transformational consultant Priscilla Myers on a September 10 article published by the Healthy Workforce Institute and authored by speaker, author, and consultant Renee Thompson DNP, RN, FAAN. Myers shared…

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