The call for a diverse workforce echoes in ORs across the US. Although most OR leaders want to answer the call, they struggle in an environment where OR staff, particularly nurses, are in high demand. OR Manager recently spoke with experts from leadership, human resources, and DEI (diversity, equity, and…

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Health systems across the country are enacting COVID-19 mandates to comply with a broad-sweeping federal requirement. Amid reports of high compliance rates, the mandate has triggered passionate and visceral responses on both sides of the debate. While some healthcare employees are eager to roll up their sleeves, others decry the…

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This issue of OR Manager draws on content presented at both the 2021 OR Business Management and OR Manager Conferences. After more than a year, the OR Manager community came together to network, learn, and share knowledge as well as celebrate each other’s efforts from such a challenging year. The…

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Lessons on leadership are the staple of any leadership-focused conference; but no conference presents leadership lessons tailored to the OR community quite like the OR Business Management Conference. After a 19-month hiatus, the OR Business Management Conference brought perioperative managers and administrators back together in what was described as an…

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The growth of value-based healthcare models is changing the way physicians and hospitals provide care. In value-based models, providers are paid based on patient outcomes. The “value” is derived from measuring health outcomes against the cost of delivering the outcomes. This balancing act has now become more achievable with new…

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In 2018, Sam Weprin, MD, started his first year of residency in Urology. During one of his first prostatectomy cases, he witnessed an impeccable surgery performed by the attending surgeon. Unfortunately, a surgical needle went missing inside the patient. The surgeon and her team spent an hour searching for it,…

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Last month, OR leaders convened for the 2021 OR Manager Conference in Chicago. The last 18 months have radically transformed healthcare delivery in the US, but many of the underlying challenges faced by hospitals and health systems before the pandemic remain unchanged. Despite the impact of COVID-19, attendees still grappled…

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Improving patient outcomes and providing a superior experience for patients were at the forefront of the decision to grow the robotics service line at Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC), Gainesville. Expanding from one da Vinci S system by Intuitive and six robotics surgeons covering five specialties in 2008 to four…

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The foundation of sterilization is cleaning. How can we be sure that the mechanical cleaning equipment being used is producing clean medical devices? There are methods available to verify that the mechanical equipment used to clean medical devices is functioning appropriately. ANSI/AAMI ST79:2017 Comprehensive guide to steam sterilization and sterility…

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With all of the advantages that come from electronic health records and connected devices, some distinct security risks also exist. Healthcare is seeing these risks grow in the form of ransomware, phishing attacks, and cybersecurity breaches. Healthcare has become one of the industries most vulnerable to cyberattacks, and one with…

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The new year is just around the corner, and it will bring new challenges for OR leaders as well as fresh opportunities to improve clinical, financial, and operational performance. The typical surgery department is a “target-rich environment”: low utilization, long turnover times, inefficient charge capture, poor documentation, high supply costs,…

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