As the response to the COVID-19 pandemic becomes embedded in hospitals, OR leaders’ satisfaction with their job is improving, according to the 2022 OR Manager Salary/Career Survey. Nearly three-fourths (72%) view their current job favorably, up from 64% last year and just below 2020’s 77%. However, satisfaction with many other…

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Challenging situations have the potential to bring out the best in people. Tom Gronow, EdD, MHA, president and CEO of UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital (UCH), is a prime example of stepping up when faced with adversity. Gronow spoke to OR Manager about his role and journey at UCHealth. He…

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This year, the OR Manager Conference is celebrating 35 years of bringing together OR managers and directors and helping the perioperative community educate, learn, and network. Since the early days of this great conference, OR Manager has expanded the agenda and the exhibit floor to include various education offerings, including…

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Download the PDF Version of the Industry Spotlight In 2013, LeanTaaS partnered with Stanford Health Care to solve an infusion scheduling challenge and created an algorithm to optimally match available supply with ongoing demand. The solution for Stanford worked, leading to 18 months of refining algorithms before creating the product,…

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Surgical volume is rising, and the need for perioperative nurses continues to grow. Same-day procedures are becoming more common, even for complex cases such as total joint replacements and spine surgery. With the decrease in in-patient, post-surgical stays and more surgeries being performed in various ambulatory settings, the skillset for…

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With all the factors involved in optimizing OR utilization, assigning OR slots is a complex proposition. When you consider that the average cost to run a fully equipped OR is now at approximately $1,000 per hour in staff and equipment costs, it is more important than ever for hospitals to…

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Paula Graling, DNP, RN, CNS, CNOR, NEA-BC FAAN, this year’s recipient of the OR Manager of the Year award, is the kind of leader who receives appreciation cards from co-workers saying, “Because of you things get done, things happen on time, and everything is better.” Evidence of her exemplary work…

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Electronic health records (EHRs) can be a force for good, promoting patient safety, but they also often have multiple pain points. OR leaders can take steps to ease those pain points. Part 1 of this two-part series provided an overview of EHR challenges and how managers can work with staff…

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Compensation has remained relatively flat for leaders in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), according to the 2022 OR Manager Salary/Career Survey, even as leaders face ongoing stressors. This is reflected in the 40% of respondents who reported a total current annual compensation of $120,000 or more—unchanged from 2021. Ongoing stress is…

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A lot has happened with ASC quality measure reporting in the last 2 years, especially this year, says Gina Throneberry, MBA, RN, CNOR, CASC, director, education and clinical affairs, Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA). Throneberry spoke at the ASCA annual conference in April. In the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid…

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The CDC’s healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevalence survey estimated that 110,800 surgical site infections (SSIs) were connected with inpatient procedures in 2015. As of 2020, Advancing Surgical Care reported that there are around 5,700 Medicare-certified ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) in the US. Of these, only 6 states require ASCs to use…

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Precision matters in the OR. Successful patient outcomes depend on carefully timed procedures, inventory selection, state-of-the-art equipment, and specialized staffing. These precise requirements represent a significant time and cost investment for hospital systems, and those investments are likely to continue to increase. The height of the COVID-19 pandemic presented considerable…

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