The OR is the financial motor of a hospital. As such, inefficiencies in this space adversely impact patient safety as well as the financial stability of the hospital and/or healthcare system. The first case on-time starts (FCOTS) metric is one of the primary benchmarks for assessing OR efficiency. The following…

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Editor's Note A study from economists and public health officials in the September 2023 issue of the journal American Economic Review: Insights found that when undocumented immigrants were provided assistance to visit primary care doctors via a pilot program, it resulted in a 21% drop in emergency room (ER) use.…

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Editor's Note Citing the pervasive connections between healthcare disparities and race and gender, Anesthesia & Analgesia, the oldest publication dedicated exclusively to the specialty of anesthesiology, is devoting its October 2023 issue to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) topics in the field. The issue lays out a number of practical…

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Editor's Note “What happens when two worlds collide?” asked one of the speakers when discussing the combination of the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) and the inpatient unit at Cohen Children’s Medical Center. The speakers were Cohen Children's Sharon Goodman, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, CPNP, director, pediatric service line; Kristen Martin, MSN,…

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Editor's Note Establishing an environment of continuous improvement is crucial to the quality of patient care, speakers told attendees during this Monday afternoon session at the OR Manager Conference. They shared how they improved the quality of care with a performance improvement initiative targeting first case on-time starts (FCOTS). Matthew…

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Editor's Note “The OR is an inherently stressful environment,” Jessica Atkinson, BSN, BSAVS, RN, CNOR, nurse manager, operating room, at Maine Medical Center, told attendees on Tuesday morning at the OR Manager Conference. The session delved into how both new and experienced leaders need to recognize and manage disruptive behavior…

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Editor's Note Healthcare institutions that are grappling with persistent staffing shortages—exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic—are adopting unconventional strategies to attract and retain employees. Nurse leaders are piloting initiatives for both short- and long-term solutions to ensure the provision of quality patient care in the face of ongoing workforce challenges. Such…

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Editor's Note Now more than ever is the time to recognize an exceptional leader who develops and supports their staff, fosters teamwork, takes an active role in delivering high quality patient care, and continually makes improvements and remarkable contributions. Do you know a perioperative leader who is making strides to…

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Editor's Note Last week on May 11, the US Department of Labor announced more than $78 million in grants to 25 public-private partnerships to "support workforce training programs in 17 states and address staffing challenges nursing professionals face in the care economy," the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) reports.…

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Editor’s Note Michelle Larson, DNP, RN, NE-BC, Nurse Administrator at Mayo Clinic, posed this quote from Dr Charles Mayo, founder of the Mayo Clinic, when opening the session, “Designing a Sustainable Model for your Future OR Today”: “If we excel in anything, it is in our capacity for translating idealism…

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