There's new evidence that the Surgical Safety Checklist developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) improves patient safety. In a worldwide pilot study, patient death and complication rates declined substantially after the checklist was introduced at 8 hospitals. Study participants Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand Philippine General Hospital, Manila…

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There's no question health care is sharing the nation's economic woes. Hospitals and other facilities face shrinking revenue, tighter credit, and ever-rising costs. "The economy is a huge problem, but for supply chain professionals, it could be the opportunity of a lifetime," says Jamie C. Kowalski, MBA, FACHE, FAAHC, FAHRMM,…

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Similar to entertainers who appreciate having their work recognized with an Emmy or a Golden Globe, health care professionals appreciate awards that recognize their expertise. What is the secret of hospitals that consistently receive awards for quality? Insight comes from interviews with leaders at Poudre Valley Health System (PVHS) in…

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Do your hospital disaster drills include natural disasters? What would you do if you lost electricity, steam, and water because of a flood, storm, or other disaster? Do you know about your hospital's physical plant and how it supports perioperative services? St Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, faced these…

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Lehigh Valley Hospital had a problem. "We were losing experienced people," says Tammy Straub, RN, MSN, CNOR, CRNP, administrator of preoperative services, Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH) and Health Network, which has 988 beds, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. "Turnover was high, and people were leaving even before orientation was complete," adds Hope…

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Achieving on-time starts can be elusive for OR leaders, including those at Memorial University Medical Center (MUMC) in Savannah, Georgia. Faced with a dismal 27% on-time starts for the first cases of the day in their 21-room OR, the leaders applied Six Sigma principles to the process. The result? A…

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Millions of Americans struggling with severe obesity may in the future have an incision-free option for weight loss. Surgeons are evaluating a procedure called TOGA—for transoral gastroplasty—as part of a multicenter clinical study. The procedure, which involves passing a stapler down a patient's throat and stapling the stomach from the…

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Are your perioperative staff using graduated compression stockings correctly? A study suggests many nurses aren't. In the study, conducted at one large hospital, 1 in 4 patients had compression hose that were the wrong size. Nearly 1 in 3 had stockings applied incorrectly, and 1 in 5 patients didn't know…

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The financial state of hospitals is not encouraging. Some issues cited in the January OR Manager include: reduced Medicare reimbursements, increased patient volumes, and inability to obtain credit, with 50% of hospitals in the US already approaching insolvency. One suggestion for countering these economic pressures was to increase surgical volume…

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Ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) are gearing up to comply with the newly revised Medicare Conditions for Coverage (CfCs). The revised conditions, issued Oct 30, 2008, are effective May 18, 2009. ASCs accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Healthcare (AAAHC) are also preparing to meet its 2009 standards, which have…

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