There’s general agreement that keeping unused pharmaceuticals out of the nation’s water supply is a good idea. But figuring out how to comply with the tangle of regulations governing unused pharmaceuticals isn’t easy. How intensely your facility is involved in managing pharmaceutical waste likely depends on how active US Environmental…

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When its instrument repair contract was up for review last year, the University of Virginia (UVA) Medical Center decided to look at the bigger picture. Rather than evaluating vendors solely on price, it looked for a company that was willing to partner in meeting its goals. The evaluation of 6…

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Here is some advice from experts on a program to ensure clean, functioning instruments.   Take a proactive approach Sharp, well maintained instruments are critical to patient safety, surgeon satisfaction, and smooth OR case flow. Kerrison rongeurs, for example, “should punch cleanly, not rip, tear, or pull,” says Rick Schultz,…

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Planning for capital purchasing requires skill. If the process isn’t effective, the OR director will end up with unhappy surgeons and staff. But done effectively, capital purchasing can build relationships among surgeons and hospital and OR leaders. “Capital planning is a challenge in today’s economy,” says Dana Crompton, MHA, vice…

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The impact of health care reform on ambulatory surgery centers (ASC)—like that on health care in general—is still uncertain. But plenty of other factors are at work that are likely to play a role in shaping the industry’s future. While the dramatic growth of the 1990s has largely abated, a…

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In a new alert, the Joint Commission adds its voice to calls to curb fatigue from extended work days and work hours. The alert highlights evidence linking fatigue to adverse events and outlines actions organizations can take to mitigate fatigue, especially among nurses and physicians. The commission says the alert…

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Hospitals have aggressive cost reduction goals coupled with more quality incentives. “In the past, we would hear of goals in the millions of dollars,” says Lani Berman, MPH, MBA, senior vice president, performance services for VHA Inc. Today, she says goals are often in the hundreds of millions, especially for…

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A 4-year study shows patient outcomes didn’t change significantly when hospitals and physicians joined in a pay-for-performance (P4P) program for 8 types of surgery. The researchers say this is one of the first studies of P4P to look at patient outcomes. The project used a gainsharing model in which 3…

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It’s common for physicians to order 2 units of blood. But with growing awareness of the hazards of transfusions, hospitals are adopting stricter measures to manage their blood supplies, including developing guidelines for transfusions and making sure physicians are compliant. Over the past 5 years, research has shown that transfusions…

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OR Manager; Vol. 27 No. 12; December 2011 An occasional column on Joint Commission issues. The reprocessing and storage of laryngoscope blades has been a hot button for Joint Commission surveyors, and OR managers have been asking how they can comply with the expectations. In answer, the Joint Commission on…

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