Provider burnout in the OR has been a problem for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic has brought staff morale to a low point in hospitals across the US. Many OR leaders are facing staffing shortages just as demand for elective surgery is increasing. This is a significant problem for hospitals…

Read More

Planning ahead isn’t always intuitive in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). However, when a business manager or clinical coordinator suddenly falls ill, announces plans to retire, or quits unexpectedly, ASC leaders need to respond nimbly and effectively. Someone has to step in and take over to make a seamless transition without…

Read More

Editor's Note A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by employees of Houston Methodist who challenged the health system’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate, the June 13 New York Times reports. US District Judge Lynn N. Hughes issued a ruling June 12 that upheld the hospital’s policy and noted that the…

Read More

Editor's Note Houston Methodist has suspended 178 healthcare workers (HCWs) for not following a hospital policy that requires employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, the June 7 New York Times reports. After warning employees last month that they had to be vaccinated by June 7 or face suspension, 117 HCWs…

Read More

Editor's Note Overall healthcare employment in the US was up in May to a seasonally adjusted 15,984,200 workers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on June 4. That’s up 22,500 since April. Hospital employment was up 2,900 jobs. The overall unemployment rate fell to 5.8%.

Read More

First assistants (FAs) can play an important role in achieving optimal outcomes and higher surgical case volumes. Part 1 of this two-part series discussed types, education, and certification of FAs (OR Manager, May 2021, pp 1, 15-18). Part 2 answers questions related to risk management and oversight, and discusses possible…

Read More

A global pandemic did not stop the proliferation of joint ventures between ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and hospitals in 2020. The trend continues in 2021, as federal regulators expand on the types of procedures that can be performed in the ambulatory setting. Hospitals are recognizing the need for a surgery…

Read More

Editor's Note Overall healthcare employment in the US was down in April to a seasonally adjusted 15,950,300 workers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on May 7. That’s down 4,100 since March. Hospital employment was down 5,800 jobs.  The overall unemployment rate went up to 6.1%.

Read More

Editor's Note Overall healthcare employment in the US was up in March to a seasonally adjusted 15,935,300 workers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on April 2. That’s up 11,500 jobs since February and down 462,100 jobs compared to a year ago. Hospital employment was still down 600 jobs, the…

Read More

For BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) leaders who are healthcare professionals, ensuring the delivery of quality care is often made more difficult by the racial or ethnic bias they may encounter within their organizations. In this article, five BIPOC perioperative leaders share their experiences and offer advice for…

Read More