Safety Access to quality care in rural areas has been making headlines since the pandemic began. The issue of ensuring appropriate access to services in rural and community hospitals is not a new concern. But with the unprecedented number of shutdowns—not only of certain departments and service lines but also total…
While demand for OR services can be unpredictable, supply is largely fixed—well below the baseline for many hospitals and health systems. The ability to match supply and demand within perioperative services is critical to efficient ORs, as hospitals and health systems must operate with constrained staffing and anesthesia resources. On…
Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS) presents a challenge to anesthesiologists and surgeons alike in the OR. Clinicians often do not know how to identify and treat this condition, and it can go undetected for years. “I think the reason many anesthesiologists, even pain specialists, aren’t well versed or aware of MALS…
May was a month of renewal and fresh beginnings that was also dedicated to Mental Health Awareness. This past month provided a timely reminder to first assess our own well-being as leaders so often focused on the contributions and performance of others. Last month was also an opportunity to pulse…
Takeaways for perioperative leaders The OR thrives when leaders act as coaches and focus on fostering growth, giving feedback, and prioritizing development—not just managing performance. True well-being goes beyond wellness and includes career, social, and community dimensions, not just physical and financial health. Who your team members work with matters—people…
The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) has revised the ANSI/AAMI PB70 Liquid barrier performance and classification of protective apparel and drapes intended for use in healthcare facilities. This revised standard provides healthcare professionals with a better understanding of the barrier protection properties of available protective apparel. The…
Infection preventionists (IPs) play a vital role in healthcare, especially in the sterile processing department (SPD), where preventing infection and cross-contamination is paramount. As infection prevention advocates, SPD personnel are responsible for ensuring that surgical instruments and other medical devices are properly sterilized and free of harmful microorganisms before use.…
Surgical site infection (SSI) surveillance has rapidly grown in the ambulatory setting over the last decade, with the expansion of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network’s (NHSN) Outpatient Procedure Component (OPC). OPC-SSI is designed to track and monitor SSIs in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs)…
Takeaways Leading practice is innovative, people-centered, and evidence-informed and can encompass best practices and benchmarking data. This article includes survey data on preadmission and preoperative practices, block scheduling, and room delays/turnover. The total number of respondents for Part 2 of the survey was 133, the majority of whom (70.7%) were…
Takeaways Perianesthesia and sterile processing leaders are feeling the pain of staffing shortages. Strategies to recruit and retain staff include raising pay, establishing clinical ladders, training programs, and a positive work environment. A 2022 study found that Certified Post Anesthesia nurses are more satisfied with their jobs than noncertified nurses.…
