How automation helps hospitals improve operating room access and grow revenue

It’s no secret that hospitals are struggling financially – and for many those struggles are likely to continue for the foreseeable future. At the same time, surgeons continue to face hurdles getting optimal time in the operating room. Faced with escalating labor costs, staffing shortages, and fewer patient discharges, hospitals saw margins crater in 2022, the worst financial year for hospitals and health systems since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report from Kaufman Hall. Approximately half of U.S. hospitals finished the year with a negative margin. All aspects of patient care, from admission to treatment to discharge, have been hurt by the labor shortage. Hospitals faced increases in labor expenses last year, driven by a competitive labor market, as well as a growing reliance on contract labor. Increased lengths of stay due to a decline in discharges also hurt margins.