The Joint Commission has modified the Universal Protocol for surgical site verification once again. Having tipped toward being more prescriptive in 2009, the protocol for 2010 is less prescriptive. The language is clearer and more direct. The revised protocol was issued in September 2009. Some revisions were effective immediately, with…

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Tight glucose control for critically ill patients gained credence several years ago after a landmark study showed tight control for ICU patients reduced the incidence of infections and mortality. Now the pendulum is swinging back, as newer reports show managing blood glucose levels too tightly places patients at risk for…

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OR Manager interviewed Vicki Smith-Daniels, PhD, professor of supply chain management at Arizona State University, Tempe, about her research on supply chain management in the surgical suite. Qwhy do we need an academic study of the surgical supply chain? Smith-Daniels: The short answer is: Clinicians like scientific evidence. The surgical…

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It's every OR manager's nightmare—a drug diversion that hits the local news. That nightmare came true for 2 Colorado facilities—Rose Medical Center in Denver and Audubon Surgery Center in Colorado Springs— this year when scrub tech Kristen Diane Parker was accused of not only stealing fentanyl, but also of transmitting…

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Managing Today's OR Suite conference attendees hit a winning streak of networking and lessons learned in Las Vegas. Participants attending the 22nd annual conference October 7 to 9, 2009, networked with colleagues and listened to inspiring and informative presentations ranging from creating a culture of safety to operating a successful…

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There's a new accrediting organization in town, and some hospitals are choosing it as an alternative to the Joint Commission. In 2008, DNV Healthcare, Cincinnati, Ohio, became the first new hospital accrediting body in 30 years granted "deeming authority" by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). That gives…

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Performing quality improvement (QI) studies is a challenge for many ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). The requirements are well known but not so easy to execute. QI is a regulatory expectation. But there is an underlying principle—making sure the facility is continually improving in areas that make a difference to quality…

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Routine sterilization of unwrapped or uncontained loads is inappropriate and should be cited as a violation of the government's infection control requirements for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). But an ASC that properly uses short sterilization cycles for wrapped/contained loads should not be cited, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services…

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