On Monday, July 23, a trailer blew a tire at the intersection of Highway 299 and Carr Powerhouse Road in the Whiskeytown district of Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area in Northern California. As the driver tried to stop, the wheel’s rim scraped against the asphalt and threw some sparks into very…

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In this issue’s 2018 OR Manager Salary/Career survey results, just over two-thirds of respondents report overall job satisfaction, but some see the lack of staff and support from superiors as chief gaps in what OR managers need to be successful (cover story). The relatively high job satisfaction rate is encouraging,…

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According to a 2016 McKesson report, payers expect value-based reimbursement, including bundled payments, to grow from a third of their business to a majority of it in 5 years. And as noted in Part 1 of this two-part series (OR Manager, September 2018, 1, 13-17), bundles are advancing on multiple…

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Burnout and resiliency are addressed at nearly every major healthcare conference these days, and research on burnout ties it to adverse effects on healthcare providers as well as their patients. According to Bernadette Melnyk, PhD, RN, APRN-CNP, FNAAP, FNAP, FAAN, vice president for health promotion and university chief wellness officer,…

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As hospital administrators face shrinking operating margins, OR leaders are being called upon to create innovative approaches for boosting revenue. Adding a new service line is one option, but it carries both risks and rewards. Only by careful analysis and follow-through can OR leaders hope to tip the balance to…

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Leaders of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are less satisfied than they were a year ago, according to the OR Manager 2018 Salary/Career Survey. In 2017, 83% were satisfied with their current job or position, compared with 77% this year. Other areas where satisfaction dipped by five percentage points or more…

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We asked some top ambulatory surgery center (ASC) leaders, including members of OR Manager’s Editorial Advisory Board, to identify the top challenges ASC leaders are facing. Here are their responses. We believe you will see some of your own challenges reflected in their comments.   Mary Stewart, MSN, BSN, RN…

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The good news/bad news for OR leaders from the 2018 annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey: Surgical volume continues to increase for many hospitals, but staff turnover and recruitment difficulties remain, creating challenges in meeting that increased volume. Another ongoing challenge is reimbursement changes; more than half of respondents report bundled…

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