Proactive leadership, early preparation, and ongoing planning and communication have helped mitigate COVID-19 threats at Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Florida. As a result, resuming elective surgical cases in early May was a relatively seamless process thanks to process improvements made before the pandemic hit. “We started working on COVID-19…

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Far fewer cases of COVID-19 have been seen in rural areas of the US than in large urban populations. But even healthcare facilities not inundated with COVID-19 patients have sustained revenue losses and disruptions in standard procedures. One major advantage for Heartland Surgery Center in Kearney, Nebraska, was seeing the…

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Everyone has had bad days at work when they may have felt frustrated, sad, angry, stressed, afraid, nauseated, sick, or overwhelmed. Why do some move from experiencing a terrible day at work to leaving the organization, whereas others pull themselves together? How do we rally from burnout, disappointment, frustration, and…

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Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons on June 3 released new resources to help surgeons and hospitals address patients’ concerns about having surgical procedures that were delayed by COVID-19. The document, “Preparing to have surgery during the time of COVID-19,” includes a patient-surgeon discussion guide with suggested questions patients…

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Editor's Note As states begin to ease restrictions imposed by COVID-19, physicians, nurse leaders, and administrators face a momentous challenge in resuming elective surgical procedures. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center developed a model that made best use of available data (eg, case logs, forecasts, etc). Adoption of an agile methodology—a…

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Editor's Note While responding to demands of the COVID-19 pandemic, perioperative leaders also are busy preparing staff and departments for life after the initial shock subsides. Chief among their preparations are strategies to address the increased demand for surgery because of postponement of elective and nonessential surgical procedures. The sterile…

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Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is arguably the greatest advancement in surgery in the last 20 years. But even healthcare leaders who support the use of ERAS to achieve better outcomes can find it daunting to implement the protocols throughout their hospital systems. Standardizing practices across areas that have historically…

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Federal regulators have yet to mandate electronic health record (EHR) adoption at ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Many facilities remain content to use paper systems. However, one expert advocates preparing now for what may come in the future. Electronic documentation systems can help ASCs better achieve their clinical, financial, operational, and…

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The fast-paced environment in an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) requires meticulous handoffs, and daily huddles—brief (10 to 20 minute) stand-up meetings—can raise awareness of any potential safety issues. That has been the experience at UnityPoint Health in Des Moines, Iowa, and some of what we learned might help others improve…

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Traditional patient care challenges have risen to a whole new level in the wake of COVID-19. Healthcare providers have assumed new roles and performed tasks they never imagined doing. With conditions and expectations changing daily if not hourly, one thing that hasn’t changed is the need to provide safe patient…

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