Getting all OR staff to buy into debriefing process boosts efficacy
The main distinction between good and bad debriefings comes down to the level of staff engagement. That’s what the surgical team at the University of Colorado Hospital, Aurora, learned during a project designed to improve the quality of the 30- to 60-second conversations held after surgery. “In a good debriefing,…
Be constructive, not combative, with union staff
Union membership has declined steeply in recent decades. Increasingly, organized labor is targeting the healthcare industry as a growth opportunity. This is creating a leadership challenge for OR directors and managers. In 2012, approximately 21% of hospitals in the US had a union nursing staff. That percentage could soon increase…
Online patient records: A trend ASCs should learn to embrace
Most ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) have some form of computer-based recordkeeping, such as scheduling and billing systems. So far, however, few have made the leap to electronic medical records (EMRs). With an EMR, clinicians enter data at the point of care, and that information is accessible to other clinical and…
Former OR Manager of the Year directs team at Nebraska biocontainment unit
Two OR nurses are part of a diverse team that cares for Ebola patients at the Nebraska Biocontainment Patient Care Unit in Omaha, and the team’s nursing director is Shelly Schwedhelm, MSN, RN, a former OR Manager of the Year. “I chose OR nurses to be on the team because…
Software orients staff, advances 'rep-less' model
What started out as a software package to train medical device representatives for the OR has evolved into a program to train OR personnel to scrub and support a “rep-less” model. The software, designed by a former perioperative nurse, helps orient staff to new procedures, documents their competency, and streamlines…
Editorial
More than 2,600 hospitals in fiscal year 2015 are facing Medicare readmission penalties, to the tune of an estimated $428 million, a recent Kaiser Health News report indicates. Among these, 39 hospitals—including some specialty surgical hospitals, small community hospitals, and a major teaching facility—will lose the maximum 3% of their…
Orthopedic implant overhaul nets cost savings and surgeon satisfaction
One way to shave the OR operating budget is to trim the supply spend, and for orthopedic service lines in particular, reining in costs related to implants can make a big impact. Some orthopedic service providers have achieved dramatic savings by adopting a “rep-less” model for certain procedures. At Loma…
Potential rewards justify efforts to create bundled payment programs
Physician alignment is a key element of current hospital strategy. Last month, we looked at how hospital ORs can use co-management agreements to build strong collaboration with surgeons. Payment reform has created an even more sophisticated option—participation in a bundled payment program. Bundled payment initiatives are more complex than most…
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