Periop Pulse Seattle-based publication MyNorthwest reported yesterday that, after six years of work, MultiCare will welcome its first patients to the new Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma, Wash., on May 16. It’s a massive upgrade, reports MyNorthwest, as the existing iteration of the children’s hospital has shared space with MultiCare Tacoma…
Spokane, Wash., newspaper The Spokesman-Review reports of a difficult situation for management of Newport (Wash.) Hospital. The facility, located along the border with Idaho, is “feeling the pinch from an influx of people coming from outside Washington who, under state law, can receive free health care there.” “Our margins are already…
Earlier this month, we wrote about a massive fire that damaged, forced patient evacuations and closed Lehigh Valley Health Network’s (LVHN) Lehigh Valley Hospital - Dickson City in Pennsylvania. LVHN parent Jefferson Health has provided an update on the status of the facility, announcing that it reopened the hospital, including…
For better or worse, negative perceptions and stories about artificial intelligence (AI) can become accepted truths among vast numbers of the general public. Reuters, one of the world’s most prominent and widely disseminated newsgathering services, spread some more bad vibes about AI with a massive report last week about perioperative…
The 2026 OR Business Management Summit, which wrapped up last Wednesday in Austin, Texas, gathered a robust community of perioperative business leaders from across the full spectrum of surgical facilities to connect, learn and grow together. A strong mix of formal presentations, dynamic keynotes and general sessions, along with highly…
Gritman Medical Center in Moscow, Idaho, announced that its upgraded sterile processing department went operational this week following an 18-month project to enhance services and upgrade surgical capacity. The project began with construction of a new electrical room on the northeast side of hospital’s main campus, which allowed Gritman to power…
Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital in Lakewood, Colo., has launched its Direct-to-Operating Room (Direct-to-OR) initiative, which allows caregivers to transport patients with penetrating injuries such as stabbings, shootings, or impalements directly from the ambulance bay or helipad to the OR, bypassing emergency department processes. The program is “designed to expedite lifesaving…
A new study by researchers at the University of Louisville, published this week in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, examined the perioperative outcomes of rural-dwelling patients undergoing lung and colon cancer surgeries in a rural facility ... and found no significant differences, save for a lot less…
A commentary by Bianca Blomquist, the California director for the Small Business Majority, titled “Hospitals’ opaque pricing is crushing California’s small businesses,” leads with this blunt statement: “Small business owners are working hard to keep their doors open while offering employees quality benefits, but rising healthcare costs are making that…
Interesting article posted by NPR/KFF Health News this week, titled “Hospitals are posting prices for patients. It's mostly industry using the data.” The article focuses on the Trump Administration’s desire for providers and insurers to post their prices to the public so healthcare consumers can shop and compare, and avoid…
