Medicare administrative contractors (MACs) in several states recently ratcheted up their documentation requirements for joint replacement surgery and other orthopedic procedures. For hospital ORs, these changes represent the tip of an iceberg that calls for careful navigation. Enhanced medical necessity documentation requirements were launched in Florida in 2011. The state’s…

Read More

Surgical volume is up in nearly half (44%) of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), according to the 24th annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey. To put this in perspective, consider that in 2009 only 19% of respondents said volume had increased and as recently as last year, only 25% reported an increase.…

Read More

When the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law, many ambulatory surgery center (ASC) leaders viewed it with optimism because it requires everyone to have health insurance unless they choose to pay a penalty. “We thought this would be a very positive thing because we would see an increase…

Read More

In the face of a changing healthcare landscape, staffing levels are stable, according to the 24th annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey. Nearly two-thirds of respondents say staff turnover and the number of open RN and surgical technologist (ST) positions have stayed the same in the past year. When those positions…

Read More

Block scheduling can be one of the most contentious issues that OR leaders face, but its effectiveness as an efficiency—and therefore cost management—tool makes it worth pursuing. Implementing block scheduling requires time, finesse, and dedication. James X. Stobinski, PhD, RN, CNOR, says it’s easy for OR managers to underestimate the…

Read More

Projections made about a decade ago told us to expect that the RN workforce would peak at around 2.2 million in 2012 and would then begin to shrink as nurses reached retirement age. Instead, say the authors of a recent Health Affairs report, there were 2.7 million RNs working in…

Read More

Increasing case volume, physician satisfaction, and patient safety are goals every OR leader strives to achieve. The 2014 OR Manager of the Year, Nancy Daughety, RN, has bragging rights to all three. Daughety is administrative director of perioperative services at St Francis Hospital, Inc, a 376-bed community hospital in Columbus,…

Read More

OR leaders have always been committed to patient safety, but an increased focus on quality has them redoubling their efforts. With the recent initiatives linking patient satisfaction to reimbursement, it’s not surprising that OR leaders are emphasizing patient safety and satisfaction, as reflected in comments from the 24th annual OR…

Read More