Editorial: OR Manager Conference is almost here!
The 36th OR Manager Conference is here! Starting on September 17, hundreds of perioperative leaders will be meeting in Music City, Nashville, TN, at the Music City Center for four days of educational and networking opportunities, as well as exposure to one of the most culturally rich cities in the…
Nurse leader key to ASC success
In the May issue of OR Manager, an article from us at the Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI) covered the definition of the nurse leader in the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) space, and what that role may look like depending upon the structural organization of the ASC. We covered that…
Supplementing staff with travelers helps reduce burnout
OR leaders face numerous challenges in managing high patient volumes and complex procedures, as well as in maintaining staff morale. To meet these demands, many ORs have turned to nurse travelers for temporary staffing support. With the addition of nurse travelers, the responsibilities of OR leaders increase, putting them at…
Transformation as a service: What hospitals can expect from LeanTaaS
The surgical department often deals with challenges like underused block time, inefficient scheduling, limited data, and unpredictable demand. They also struggle to match staff skills to service needs. LeanTaaS and its software help to tackle these issues by using lean principles, predictive analytics, and machine learning. The LeanTaaS solutions are…
Survey: ASC volumes continue to rise amid staffing challenges
ASC leaders continue to see increased surgical volumes but are finding it difficult to staff their centers, according to the 2023 OR Manager Salary/Career Survey. More than half (56%) of respondents reported increased volume in the past 12 months, the same as last year. Yet the ability to recruit new…
Market forces affecting the ambulatory surgery industry
Ambulatory is the term the industry is “stuck with” because that is the name the founders came up with in 1970, says David Shapiro, MD, CASC, CPHRM, LHR, an anesthesiologist with extensive experience in ambulatory surgery management and a member of the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) board.…
Procedure leading to faster recovery for hysterectomy patients may reverse decline in vaginal hysterectomies
Editor's Note This recent study published in early 2023 by the Journal of the Society of Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgeons highlights that the total number of benign hysterectomies being performed in the US has decreased, with vaginal hysterectomies declining by 19% over 2 years. Only 12% of hysterectomies for benign…
Effect of augmented reality on perioperative anxiety
Editor's Note This study from the University of Miami examines the effect of a preoperative walkthrough of a patient’s day of surgery using augmented reality (AR) on perioperative anxiety levels. A total of 95 patients undergoing elective orthopedic surgery at an outpatient surgery center were randomized to an AR intervention…
AI can help nurses balance workloads, avoid burnout
Editor's Note In an August 14 interview with HealthLeaders Media, David Benton, PhD, RN, RGN, FRCN, FAAN, CEO of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, says artificial intelligence (AI) has important roles in training nursing students, balancing nurse workloads, and managing patient care, which ultimately helps reduce stress…
NQF joins The Joint Commission as an affiliate
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on August 16, announced a strategic affiliation with the National Quality Forum (NQF) in an effort to accelerate improvements across the continuum of patient care and change the focus from competing measures to advancing key outcomes. The NQF will maintain its independence in developing consensus-based…