Home Issues OR Manager
October 2014 See the full issue

Little change seen in salaries despite greater case volume, responsibility

OR directors and managers in hospitals continue to see stable salary patterns, even though volume is increasing in many areas of the US and leaders have more responsibilities, according to the 24th annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey. One-third of respondents said surgical volume has increased in the past year, compared…

Read More

By: OR Manager
September 22, 2014
Share

Hybrid medical leadership turns competitors into collaborators

Solid teamwork and a commitment to high-quality patient care are the hallmarks of a successful healthcare facility. But egos sometimes get in the way, and competition among surgeons in the orthopedic service line at St Louis-based SSM Health Care was impeding progress. The surgeons were affiliated with three independent groups,…

Read More

By: OR Manager
September 22, 2014
Share

Editorial

Individual health insurance coverage mandated by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) went into effect a year ago. Whether that has helped or hindered patients is unclear. Similarly, the jury is still out on the ACA’s long-term effects for healthcare providers. A recent report from Moody's Investors Service paints a bleak…

Read More

By: OR Manager
September 22, 2014
Share

Study sheds new light on natural history of RSIs

Most retained surgical items (RSIs) involve team/system errors and more than two safety omissions or variances, which supports the need for institutional emphasis on team training, finds a study led by S. Peter Stawicki, MD, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus. Though RSIs feature prominently among surgical “never events,”…

Read More

By: OR Manager
September 22, 2014
Share

Affordable Care Act prompts OR leaders to push the efficiency envelope

As implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues, OR leaders are looking ahead and finding the view murky. “I think every organization is struggling because our crystal ball is not very clear as to what is coming,” says Donna Doyle, MS, RN, NE-BC, CNOR, administrative director for surgery and…

Read More

By: OR Manager
September 22, 2014
Share

Consider a wider range of potential complications to improve patient safety

Reducing preventable complications is a high priority, especially in light of readmission penalties. A recent data analysis by Premier, Inc, has identified 86 high-impact potential inpatient complications (PICs) associated with increased inpatient mortality, costs, and length of stay (LOS). In their study of 530 inpatient facilities, Premier, a healthcare performance…

Read More

By: OR Manager
September 22, 2014
Share

Prepare now for more stringent joint replacement documentation requirements

Medicare administrative contractors (MACs) in several states recently ratcheted up their documentation requirements for joint replacement surgery and other orthopedic procedures. For hospital ORs, these changes represent the tip of an iceberg that calls for careful navigation. Enhanced medical necessity documentation requirements were launched in Florida in 2011. The state’s…

Read More

By: OR Manager
September 22, 2014
Share

ASC survey respondents see more pluses than minuses in compensation

Surgical volume is up in nearly half (44%) of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), according to the 24th annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey. To put this in perspective, consider that in 2009 only 19% of respondents said volume had increased and as recently as last year, only 25% reported an increase.…

Read More

By: OR Manager
September 22, 2014
Share

Cost control leads list of strategies related to healthcare reform

When the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law, many ambulatory surgery center (ASC) leaders viewed it with optimism because it requires everyone to have health insurance unless they choose to pay a penalty. “We thought this would be a very positive thing because we would see an increase…

Read More

By: OR Manager
September 22, 2014
Share

Join our community

Learn More
Video Spotlight
Live chat by BoldChat