The Business of Surgery The passage of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act in 2009 brought electronic health records (EHR) to the forefront, but the concept existed long before that. Larry Weed and Jan Schultz at the University of Vermont developed a preliminary system in the 1970s. In 2014,…
The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) has been accrediting ambulatory healthcare facilities, including ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), for more than 40 years, with some 6,100 accredited organizations. A top philosophy of AAAHC is “1095 Strong,” which emphasizes the importance of integrating quality practices throughout a facility’s 1,095 days…
When Donna Doyle, DNP, RN, CNOR, NE-BC, perioperative consultant with DJD Consulting Services in Columbus, Ohio, thinks of succession planning, the British royal family comes to mind. “That is the epitome of succession planning,” she says. “You know exactly who’s in what position, who is next up, and who is…
May 2022 saw a critical shortage of the iodinated contrast medium (ICM) iohexol that extended well into June because of a COVID-19-related shutdown of a GE Healthcare plant in Shanghai, China, that interrupted the manufacture of ICM. According to the American College of Radiology, contrast media were added to the…
When a natural disaster strikes—whether flood, tornado, hurricane, or wildfire—nearly every aspect of a healthcare system’s operations are impacted. There is an influx of patients in crisis and a spike in calls for emergency services. There are logistical problems—impassable roads, power outages, and communication and internet breakdowns. Supply chain disruptions…
May 2022 brought business leaders and operations managers back together in person for the OR Business Management Conference. This year marked its 10th anniversary, and the intimate event highlighted several facets of the behemoth issue that is staffing. Several sessions touched on the topic, including: • “Organize the chaos and…
All leaders at some point in their careers should find ways to reward and recognize their staff. But what most leaders fail to grasp is, the heart behind the reward is immediately apparent and matters almost as much as the reward itself. Stuart Downs, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, CENP, CPHQ, FACHE,…
While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve with impacts shifting over time, some of the changes it brought to healthcare—specifically the OR—may be permanent. One trend it accelerated: the rise in new ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), which specialize in elective or same-day outpatient surgical procedures. While this trend was largely…
Hospitals and health systems know they are attractive targets for cybercriminals. When lives are at stake, and the victims are often insured, ransomware gangs can expect a quick and easy payout. But since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, hospitals have had to face a new reality: The…
There is more than one way to skin a blue wrap—and transform its utility. Faced with overwhelming amounts of waste, teams in operating rooms are finding creative solutions, taking discarded medical supplies and repurposing them into bed pans, COVID masks, or in some cases, works of art. For many health…
