Surgeons often are eager to acquire the newest technology, particularly right after attending a conference with a vendor-packed exhibit hall. How can OR leaders weigh surgeon demands with organizational cost constraints to ensure they meet patient needs while being fiscally responsible? The first step is to acknowledge the complexity of…

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Nonprofit hospitals and health systems got a vote of confidence in December 2019 when Moody’s Investors Service revised its 2020 outlook from negative to stable. The report projected an increase in operating cash flows by 2% to 3%. Moody’s says increased reimbursements and higher patient volumes will boost revenue. But…

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The Best in OR Business Award is presented annually at the OR Business Management Conference to recognize an outstanding leader who has saved on costs, increased OR utilization, improved patient safety, or otherwise streamlined the surgical services department. The 2020 award will be presented to Vikram Tiwari, PhD, associate professor…

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At Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health System in Richmond, implementation of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) incorporates principles of Lean thinking, a management methodology that emphasizes “…maximize[ing] customer value while minimizing waste. Simply, lean means creating more value for customers with fewer resources,” according to the Lean Enterprise Institute.1 Several…

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Editor's Note In this study, researchers found that over a 3-year period, compared to no participation, participation in Medicare’s Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) program was associated with a 1.6% decrease in average lower extremity joint replacement spending with no changes in quality, driven by early participants. When looking…

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Editor's Note In this study from Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, a first case on-time starts (FCOTS) improvement initiative was linked to a higher frequency of FCOTS, which was independently associated with last case on-time ends (LCOTE) and decreased OR overtime costs. Of 12,073 cases (6,095 pre- vs…

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Enhanced Recovery After Surgery The implementation of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is based on the concept of organizing care around the patient, addressing medical condition needs to optimize readiness for surgery and reducing the likelihood of postoperative complications. Efficacy is measured by how well we perform according to these…

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Anyone seeking a break from the winter weather and a stimulating educational experience will find both at the 2020 OR Business Management Conference (ORBMC), which takes place January 27-30 in Weston, Florida. The highly relevant and timely presentations, along with networking events that connect OR business professionals with colleagues and…

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Editor's Note Infection after surgery during postoperative days 0 to 30 is significantly associated with long-term infection and mortality, this study finds. In this analysis of 659,486 patients from the Veterans Health Administration, 3.6% had a 30-day infection, 6.6% had a long-term infection, and 3.8% died during follow-up. At any…

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Editor's Note This study finds that the estimated cost of waste in the US health care system ranges from $760 billion to $935 billion and accounts for some 25% of healthcare spending. Projected potential savings from interventions to reduce waste, excluding savings from administrative complexity, range from $191 billion to…

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