Fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine saved lives of rheumatic disease patients
Editor's Note Receiving a fourth dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine recommended for patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, was found to have saved lives and reduced hospitalizations among that patient population. The findings were published in the journal The Lancet Rheumatology on November 15. The researchers used…
FDA encourages new cybersecurity standards on medical device manufacturing
Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognized the latest guidance on medical device cybersecurity from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), an AAMI November 14 press release reports. This latest cybersecurity recognition is encouraging its use across the medical device manufacturing industry to…
Survey: Compensation rising for in-demand APPs
Editor's Note According to the 2023 survey from consulting firm SullivanCotter, published in August 2023, compensation for Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) has grown at a faster rate than pay for physicians and nurses, BusinessWire November 15 reports.ย The final report included data on more than 124,000 individual APPs and over…
How internal staffing agencies benefit the OR suite
Takeaways Clinical hours per case is a simple, yet effective, productivity metric. Analysis of productivity measures can include benchmarking against external and internal data. A positive work culture will improve staff productivity. Many health systems rely on external, third-party agencies to deploy nurses and other staff. But when a situation…
Editorial
Staffing crises continue to plague the healthcare industry, but that cannot continue to be the focus of perioperative leaders. That was the poignant message that underscored the attendee experience at the 36th OR Manager Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. After attending the engaging keynotes, numerous breakout sessions, and several networking events,…
Optimizing productivity measurement in the ASC
Takeaways Clinical hours per case is a simple, yet effective, productivity metric. Analysis of productivity measures can include benchmarking against external and internal data. A positive work culture will improve staff productivity. Productivity is a foundational concept for leaders of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). โMeasuring productivity is essential to be…
Role of robotics coordinators in standardization, efficiency
The importance of a dedicated robotics coordinatorโs role in an efficient da Vinci robotics program cannot be overstated. โYou need someone to take ownership of the program, set up training for staff and surgeons, and coordinate ongoing development,โ says June Hill, BSN, RN, CNOR, clinical director of robotics, Inova Health…
Mastering social media responsibility: A guide for OR leaders
In todayโs digital age, social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok are transforming the ways we connect and communicate. Through these platforms, users can share information, ideas, and personal messages, as well as build networks and communities. It is also becoming an integral part of everyday life.…
New water quality standard released by AAMI
Water is a major component of medical device processing. It is used in cleaning solutions, rinse water, and to generate steam for sterilization. Because of its crucial role in medical device processing, the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) determined it was necessary to upgrade the Technical Information…
How health systems are using tech tools to make ORs more efficient
Most hospitals agree that they can better harness the data they are collecting from registration through discharge in order to streamline patient turnovers, reduce wait times, and improve patient and staff satisfaction, but there is still uncertainty about how best to turn massive quantities of data into better patient outcomes.…