Our Take In this study, functional capacity to perform activities of daily living was an independent predictor of postoperative mortality within each ASA class, indicating that it should be incorporated into routine preoperative evaluations. The likelihood for mortality was significantly lower for patients who were functionally independent than for those…

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Part 1 of this two-part series, published in the March issue of OR Manager, discussed the perioperative surgical home (PSH) concept. In this article, healthcare providers who are in the planning stages of a PSH as well as those with several years of experience with using this model of care…

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The medical home, consisting of a patient-centered team focusing on the coordinated delivery of care, is now embedded in the healthcare lexicon, but the perioperative surgical home (PSH) is a more recent concept that is only starting to spread across the country. “The number of hospitals in the US with…

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services penalizes hospitals for readmissions stemming from myocardial infarction, heart failure, pneumonia, and total hip and knee arthroplasty, and in 2016, coronary artery bypass graft procedures will be added to the mix. For this and many other reasons, OR leaders everywhere are taking steps…

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A high-performing anesthesiology group is critical to the success of a hospital OR. Most OR leaders, however, do not know how to work effectively with anesthesia providers to define high performance and establish performance metrics. Traditionally, anesthesia group contracts have not included detailed service standards. Language about anesthesia coverage is…

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Demand for anesthesia technicians is on the rise, according to a recent Chicago Tribune headline. The article touts the position as a way to “work in the operating room without going to medical school.” Although this description may be an overreach, it does help raise awareness of the growing and…

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Among the challenges facing OR leaders everywhere are declining payment in tandem with rising costs, increased quality and patient satisfaction requirements, and the ongoing struggle to manage relations with surgeons. When it comes to tackling these issues, many OR directors do not realize they have a powerful natural ally—the anesthesiology…

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New information on surgical fires sheds light on risk factors, patterns of injury, and why OR teams need to plan for their occurrence. A May 2013 study led by Karen B. Domino, MD, MPH, is the first to assess closed malpractice cases of surgical fires. Dr Domino, professor of anesthesiology…

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The patient, an elderly woman, arrived at Red Rocks Surgery Center in Golden, Colorado, for an ophthalmology procedure. A paraplegic, she was using a scooter chair. Administrator Jane Klinglesmith, BS, RN, CNOR, watched her checking in at the admissions desk and noticed she was on dialysis. As she approached, Klinglesmith…

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Nausea or vomiting after surgery can cause more distress than the pain, and even with modern anesthetics, it is not as rare as once thought. If the procedure is outpatient, symptoms may arise after the patient is at home, away from medical intervention. Thus, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) need to…

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