Former pilot applies aviation skills to perioperative nursing
As a Navy veteran, airline pilot, and flight nurse, Lisa Reeves, RN, performed safety checklists for nearly 15 years. When Reeves became a perioperative nurse 2 years ago, she was pleasantly surprised to find she would continue to use checklists and that ORs had been studying aviation safety practices. “The…
Co-management agreements thrive in a culture of responsibility
Most hospitals are experimenting with ways to collaborate better with physicians. An alignment model that is particularly relevant for hospital ORs is the surgical services co-management agreement (CMA). Under a CMA, surgeons receive compensation for helping to manage a service line. Several leading ORs have used CMAs to engage surgeons…
Focused competencies give anesthesia technicians a leg up on the efficiency ladder
Demand for anesthesia technicians is on the rise, according to a recent Chicago Tribune headline. The article touts the position as a way to “work in the operating room without going to medical school.” Although this description may be an overreach, it does help raise awareness of the growing and…
Sharpen coding skills and reimbursement strategies during ICD-10 delay
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) once again has extended the deadline to begin using International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) billing codes. Implementation has been set for October 1, 2015, and a growing number of billing, technology, and clinical specialists agree it is time to move ahead with…
Little change seen in salaries despite greater case volume, responsibility
OR directors and managers in hospitals continue to see stable salary patterns, even though volume is increasing in many areas of the US and leaders have more responsibilities, according to the 24th annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey. One-third of respondents said surgical volume has increased in the past year, compared…
Hybrid medical leadership turns competitors into collaborators
Solid teamwork and a commitment to high-quality patient care are the hallmarks of a successful healthcare facility. But egos sometimes get in the way, and competition among surgeons in the orthopedic service line at St Louis-based SSM Health Care was impeding progress. The surgeons were affiliated with three independent groups,…
Editorial
Individual health insurance coverage mandated by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) went into effect a year ago. Whether that has helped or hindered patients is unclear. Similarly, the jury is still out on the ACA’s long-term effects for healthcare providers. A recent report from Moody's Investors Service paints a bleak…
Study sheds new light on natural history of RSIs
Most retained surgical items (RSIs) involve team/system errors and more than two safety omissions or variances, which supports the need for institutional emphasis on team training, finds a study led by S. Peter Stawicki, MD, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus. Though RSIs feature prominently among surgical “never events,”…
Free Daily News
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