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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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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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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Editor's Note Houston Methodist, the first US health system to mandate vaccination of its employees in March 2021, is not requiring employees to receive new COVID-19 vaccines targeting Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, the September 21 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. Though the system is strongly recommending that employees get the…

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Editor's Note This study from The Wharton School, Philadelphia, and Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, examines changes in unemployment among healthcare workers (HCWs) from January 2015 to April 2022. The researchers found that: Prepandemic, 2.28% of HCWs and 3.82% of non-HCWs reported being unemployed. During the pandemic, 3.18% of…

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Editor's Note CVS Health announced on Monday, September 5, that it entered into a definitive agreement with Signify Health, under which CVS will acquire Signify Health for approximately $8 billion (at $30.50 per share). The news comes on the heels of Amazon’s announcement on July 21 that it plans to…

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Editor's Note Any leadership position in a modern perioperative leadership department requires a nurse who is skilled at making business decisions that promote patient and staff safety and quality care. The skill set is always evolving and requires constant reforming and fine tuning. This job involves not only leadership and…

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Editor's Note Overall healthcare employment in the US was up in August to a seasonally adjusted 16,453,900 workers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on September 2. That’s up 48,200 since July. Hospital employment also was up by 14,700 jobs. The overall unemployment rate for August was 3.7%, for a…

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