Making the case for specialty teams

Teams have long been discussed by OR managers as a way to improve physician and staff satisfaction. It makes sense to have teams of the same staff working with surgeons in the same specialty consistently. But a variety of management issues arise. How do you balance the need for specialist and generalist staff? How do you manage call? Will team members expect additional pay and other perks? How much will it cost to implement teams, and will the costs be offset by the ability to perform more cases and generate more revenue? How can an OR manager determine the return on investment, if there is one, and make the business case for teams in the OR?