Editor's Note This study led by researchers at the Boston University School of Public Health finds that depression symptoms in the US are three-fold higher than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. Of 1,441 individuals surveyed during the COVID-19 pandemic and 5,065 surveyed before the pandemic, depression symptoms were higher…
Editor's Note This study from the University of California, San Diego; Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore; and Institute for Disease Modeling, Bellevue, Washington, finds that acute anxiety spiked early during the COVID-19 pandemic but has since returned to typical levels. Researches examined internet searchers indicative of acute anxiety that originated from…
Surges in COVID-19 cases across the US have kept communities in a perpetual first wave for much of 2020. While the virus continues unabated and researchers focus on vaccine development, the timing and impact of the second wave are unknown. Amid so much uncertainty, one thing is clear: The virus…
Conscientious leaders strive for excellence and have high expectations of everyone around them. If you are like me, you may have been told at times to lower your expectations. But I believe if you raise the bar, people worth retaining will meet the bar if they have the support to…
Editor's Note The psychosocial needs of cancer patients are not being adequately met because of the disruption in services caused by COVID-19, this study from the UK finds. Researchers from six universities surveyed 94 psychosocial oncology professionals and identified a number of concerns, including: The suspension of face-to-face delivery of…
Editor's Note This study by noted nurse researcher Linda Aiken, PhD, RN, FAAN, and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, finds that hospital nurses were burned out and working in understaffed conditions in the weeks preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, posing risks to the public’s health. The…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on August 12 released its sentinel event statistics for the first half of 2020. From January 1 through June 30, the Joint Commission reviewed 437 sentinel events. The most frequently reported events were in the following categories: Care management, 165 Surgical or invasive procedures, 131…
Spikes in coronavirus cases starting in late June threatened to overwhelm hospitals in several states. Utah is one such state, but steps previously taken at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City suggest the 23-hospital system will be able to manage a surge. Leaders at Inova Health System in Falls Church,…
Staffing to a block duration can be inefficient. Uncontrolled variables such as increased case complexity and unexpected staff absences can cause chaos. Leaders from Penn Medicine—Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia used data analytics to measure the efficiency of matching staffing against an optimized OR schedule, which allowed them to predict staffing…
Anyone who attends the OR Manager Conference can expect a rich educational experience that will help them be better leaders. In-depth preconference workshops, breakout sessions, and opportunities to explore the latest technology are tailored to provide solutions to the problems all OR managers face. The conference typically ends on a…