Respondents to hospital survey Region Response Northeast 17% Midwest 33% South 31% West 19% OR managers and staff are moving toward retirement right along with their veteran staff. Within about 12 years, nearly 70% of OR managers and directors expect to no longer be in the workforce. They will take…

Read More

How does pay for surgical services directors stack up with that of other high-pressure occupations? OR Manager asked Salary.com for a list of other jobs that involve high pressure, high regulatory demands, and complex responsibilities. In compiling the list, Kimberly Taylor, compensation manager with Salary.com, says she searched the website's…

Read More

"She walks the talk and always carries a bag of chocolate." This is how one staff member describes Barbara Johnson, RN, BSN, MHA, this year's OR Manager of the Year. The letters portray a director who leads with compassion, humor, and a passion for service. Barbara Johnson, RN, BSN, MHA…

Read More

Director of surgical services Responsibilities include supervision, organization, hiring, counseling, and evaluation of subordinates; 24/7 responsibility for OR, PACU, ambulatory care unit, endoscopy, and central sterilization. Additional responsibilities include coordinating and teaching in-service programs; overseeing medical equipment maintenance and repair; and close contact with the VP/chief nurse executive. Other responsibilities…

Read More

Beginning next year, Medicare will stop paying hospitals more for treating serious conditions it considers avoidable, such as infections, falls, and objects left in surgical patients. The action is required by a law passed by Congress in 2005. In August, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) identified 8…

Read More

Depending on your perspective, donation after cardiac death (DCD) is a welcome boost for organ donation or an ethical quagmire. Trends in donation after cardiac death Donation after cardiac death accounts for a small but growing number of organ donations. Because each donor often provides mutliple organs, DCD might make…

Read More

Biological monitoring is the cornerstone of your sterilization quality assurance program. What's the right way to use biological indicators (BIs)? What's their role in load release? And how are they used in conjunction with chemical indicators? OR Manager posed frequently asked questions to Cynthia Spry, RN, MA, MSN, CNOR, cochair…

Read More

For the first time since issuing the original ambulatory surgery center (ASC) rules 25 years ago, Medicare is proposing to update its conditions for coverage, or CfCs. The rules apply to ASCs that participate in Medicare and Medicaid. The rules primarily affect ASCs not accredited by a private body such…

Read More