Deciding to become an entrepreneur is an exciting first step in launching a new career, but ensuring the success of that career requires several other steps. Part 1 of this series on entrepreneurship (OR Manager, March 2016, pp 1, 11-13) explored several self-assessment strategies for making the decision to take…
H ealthcare trends come and go, but one that shows no signs of stopping is value-based payment. Just this year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replace-ment (CCJR) model, which mandates bundled payment for two of the most common surgical procedures in the…
Each year, 3 million Americans have cataracts removed, according to the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS). Between the aging population and the increasing number of cataract procedures being performed, it’s not surprising that ophthalmology has led the way in specialties that are moving to the outpatient setting.…
Recommendations emerging from a data analytics project have helped OR leaders at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, better anticipate daily surgical case volume and share that information with their managers. Data gleaned from the project are now being used to predict staffing needs for the OR, anesthesia department,…
Some perioperative services leaders retire from the OR with plans to become consultants, drawing on their years of experience to help facilities and remain active in the field. Some do not envision this or any other type of post-retirement career, yet they find themselves lured into a business opportunity. Entrepreneurship…
Certain topics in OR Manager bear repeating, and high reliability is one example. The concept, put forth by the Joint Commission in 2013 to improve quality and safety of patient care, is slowly gaining traction as more facilities embrace its principles. Last March, we reported on high reliability practices at…
Hospitals with better nursing work environments and above-average staffing levels were associated with better surgical value (ie, lower mortality with similar costs) in this study, especially for higher-risk patients. Past studies have shown that hospitals with better nursing work environments provide better quality of care, but less is known about…
Surgeons often complain that their physician preference cards (PPCs) are not current, and keeping on top of the situation can be a struggle. Yet having accurate information on these cards greatly enhances both efficiency and patient safety, say surgical services leaders who have overhauled their systems. In this article, experts…