Home Issues OR Manager

Post-OR career path may lead to business opportunity--Part 1

Some perioperative services leaders retire from the OR with plans to become consultants, drawing on their years of experience to help facilities and remain active in the field. Some do not envision this or any other type of post-retirement career, yet they find themselves lured into a business opportunity. Entrepreneurship…

Read More

By: OR Manager
February 19, 2016
Share

Editorial

Certain topics in OR Manager bear repeating, and high reliability is one example. The concept, put forth by the Joint Commission in 2013 to improve quality and safety of patient care, is slowly gaining traction as more facilities embrace its principles. Last March, we reported on high reliability practices at…

Read More

By: OR Manager
February 19, 2016
Share

Nursing work environment linked to better surgical value

Hospitals with better nursing work environments and above-average staffing levels were associated with better surgical value (ie, lower mortality with similar costs) in this study, especially for higher-risk patients. Past studies have shown that hospitals with better nursing work environments provide better quality of care, but less is known about…

Read More

By: OR Manager
February 19, 2016
Share

Manage physician preference cards to boost efficiency and patient safety

Surgeons often complain that their physician preference cards (PPCs) are not current, and keeping on top of the situation can be a struggle. Yet having accurate information on these cards greatly enhances both efficiency and patient safety, say surgical services leaders who have overhauled their systems. In this article, experts…

Read More

By: OR Manager
February 19, 2016
Share

Dedication, determination help tame PPC beast

Even the most experienced OR leaders often view physician preference cards (PPCs) as a beast that acts out and demands attention at the most inconvenient times. Two organizations that have managed to tame the PPC beast shared their experiences with OR Manager. Updating cards saves more than $3.2 million Tresa…

Read More

By: OR Manager
February 19, 2016
Share

New schedule adds efficiency, bolsters caseload

Theoretical advantages exist for both block and nonblock scheduling. Facilities with enough space and staff may be able to schedule cases on the basis of patient and surgeon convenience, but that doesn’t work for facilities with less flexibility. At our facility, problems associated with first-come, first-served booking led to an…

Read More

By: OR Manager
February 19, 2016
Share

High reliability: Excellent care every time

High reliability has now permeated the healthcare literature, but some clinicians are still unsure exactly what it means. A simple definition offered by Coleen Smith, MBA, RN, CPHQ, director of High Reliability Initiatives for the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare, is “excellence in patient care for every patient, every…

Read More

By: OR Manager
February 19, 2016
Share

Proper packaging ensures integrity of sterilization

Sterilization packaging is considered a medical device and thus it must undergo validation testing before being used in healthcare facilities. To ensure proper packaging that will maintain the integrity of sterilization, consult the packaging manufacturers’ instructions for use (IFU) and follow the sterilization standards and guidelines from the Association for…

Read More

By: OR Manager
February 19, 2016
Share

ICD-10 conversion uneventful in the ambulatory setting, despite worries

With several months of experience using an updated version of the International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) diagnosis coding system, most US healthcare providers, including ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), are finding their worst fears have yet to materialize.   ‘Lights would go out’ Although Medicare has not yet released data, insurance…

Read More

By: OR Manager
February 19, 2016
Share

Join our community

Learn More
Video Spotlight
Live chat by BoldChat