Editor's Note A hospital in Canada could see OR PVC waste reduced by as much as half this year thanks to a perioperative waste reduction project innovated by three fourth-year BSN students from the College of the Rockies. East Kootenay News Online Weekly reported the news January 9. According to…

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Takeaways • Visual management (VM) tools support Lean efforts, leading to improved quality and efficiency. • VM boards provide an overview of processes, facilitate problem solving, and promote staff-manager collaboration. • Other VM tools such as color coding and customized instrument trays can help reduce errors and save money. Lean…

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Perioperative leaders are entering a time of uncertainty after 2024 proved to be transformative for inpatient and outpatient surgical care. Last year saw important updates from The Joint Commission and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that emphasized improvements alongside ongoing challenges in safety, workforce shortages, reimbursement, and…

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Editor's Note Although the term “value-based care” dates back nearly two decades, payer reimbursement models too often seem more like volume-based care. In a presentation at the upcoming OR Business Management Conference, scheduled February 10-12 at the Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa, Florida, economist Susanna Gallani, PhD, will delve into how…

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Editor's Note A quality improvement protocol at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical campus resulted in a 48.8% decrease in the number of pediatric urology patients returning to the emergency department (ED) unnecessarily within 30 days of surgery. According to a December 2 university report, the initiative has significantly reduced…

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Editor's Note A recent study developed and validated an artificial intelligence (AI) model leveraging natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to significantly improve prediction accuracy for surgical case length. Published November 29 in the journal Surgery, the findings show promise for using AI as an alternative to current methods…

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Editor's Note The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finalized a new rule establishing the Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model, a 6-year, mandatory initiative to enhance access to kidney transplants, improve care quality, and reduce disparities. Managed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the program…

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Editor's Note Curious to learn how hurricane-impacted health organizations are navigating supply chain challenges? What about the latest trends in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), AI-driven scheduling software, or the workings of the hospital C-suite? Designed specifically for perioperative business leaders seeking to optimize efficiency and increase profitability, the 2025 OR…

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Takeaways • The 3A Strategic Thinking Framework and the GOST Framework are examples of tools that can help make the abstract process of strategic thinking more concrete for perioperative leaders. • Carving out dedicated time for planning and fostering strategic thinking in others are important to achieve optimal results. •…

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When a speaker at a recent conference asked if anyone had achieved a first-case on-time start (FCOTS) rate above 90%, Jay Parker, BSN, RN, could have been the only one in the room with his hand up. However, Parker was not inclined to call attention to himself. As director of…

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