Editor's Note A new survey from ECRI finds that shortages of medications and medical supplies and equipment are harming patients, the nonprofit organization reported in an October 13 news release. ECRI surveyed nearly 200 pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, procurement specialists, physicians, and nurses in July 2023. Following are some takeaways from…

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Editor’s Note Katie Boston-Leary, PhD, MBA, MHA, RN, NEA-BC, CCTP, director of nursing programs at the American Nurses Association, spoke about the future of healthcare leaders at the OR Manager Conference on Monday morning. “There’s a concern about leadership in healthcare,” and there is a resistance to change, she noted.…

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Editor's Note As supply chain challenges remain a top concern for health leaders in 2023, ECRI Institute shared three strategies to reduce wasted cost and maximize savings on February 28. Identify substitute products. Consider lower cost, functionally equivalent products and alternative suppliers. Work towards supply chain standardization. Access utilization. Review…

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Editor’s Note "The pandemic is to healthcare what 9/11 was to the transportation industry. Just like you will never fly the same way, you will never get your hip replacement the same way," Andrew Martin, MSN, RN, CPHRM, Patient Safety Analyst / Consultant, ECRI Institute, told the audience in the…

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Two major challenges that perioperative leaders are facing today are labor and supply costs. These two areas also happen to be the largest and second largest expense categories at most hospitals, making the challenges even more pronounced. What actions can leaders put in place to ensure that clinical staff are…

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Editor's Note Vials of the chemotherapy drug fludarabine could be purchased at a whole sale price of $110 last year—today, it is being sold for a much higher price, Fierce Pharma November 1 reports. One company, Areva Pharmeceuticals, increased the price to $2,736, Stat News reported on October 27. This…

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Editor's Note In this recent study, titled “A simple surgical mask modification to pass N95 respirator-equivalent fit testing standards during the COVID-19 pandemic” and published by PLOS ONE on August 24, the use of rubber bands worn over standard 3-layer surgical masks is shown to improve the mask’s protective seal…

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Editor's Note The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was signed into law by President Biden on Tuesday, August 16, at the White House, CBS News August 16 reports. This finalizes a signature piece of legislation aimed at lowering healthcare costs, fighting climate change, and raising taxes on corporations. The Senate passed…

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Editor's Note On Sunday, August 7, the Senate passed a spending bill allocating billions of dollars to climate reform and healthcare focused programs, including provisions that give “Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices for a small subset of drugs” and extend “enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies” for 3 years,…

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With inflation hitting yet another record-breaking high—9.1% at the time of publication—hospitals and health systems continue to contend with challenging supply chain disruptions that force leaders into a constant state of putting out fires. Supply chain issues are not new. But instead of having time to plan ahead and implement…

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