Anesthesia staffing, communication, patient safety: Q&A with OR Manager Conference speakers

Editor's Note

Capacity issues persist within the anesthesia workforce, leaving perioperative leaders tasked with maintaining efficient operations and safe practices for patients through surgery.

We spoke with leaders from SCA Health, Stormont Vail Health, and Heartland Anesthesia & Consulting to find out other challenges anesthesia providers are facing, and how said issues are being addressed.

Scarcity, communication identified as top challenges

Scarcity: Shortage of anesthesia providers is a core issue for all perioperative leaders. Lindsay Lowder, vice president anesthesia services, SCA Health, says, “This scarcity has led to a dramatic shift in many markets in provider expectations and created a fundamental tension as we try to ensure stable coverage within our facilities and anesthesia providers try to meet surgeon and proceduralist expectations.”

Communication: Given the nature of the anesthesia provider’s schedule during the surgical day, communication becomes an issue in an ambulatory surgery center (ASC), as “providers are occupied providing anesthesia care for your patrons and are generally not present within the facility beyond daytime hours,” shares Mindy Gingery, MSN, CRNA, ARNP, president, Heartland Anesthesia & Consulting. Further communication challenges may be “exacerbated by a rotation of several anesthesia personnel with no defined communication point person.”

PACU efficiency: To maintain optimized throughput and patient outcomes after surgery, PACU nurses “must be able to assess the patient very efficiently before the [anesthesia] provider needs to leave the bedside,” which means coordination of care through Phase 1 is pivotal, express Thaina Dos Santos Jensen, BSN, RN, acute care registered nurse, and Jenny James, BSN, RN, CPAN, RN, perioperative care, at Stormont Vail Health, “Any needs for the patient directly related to the effects of anesthesia or surgery are best addressed with the administering provider at the time of handoff.”

Advice for managing anesthesia resources effectively

Lowder and Gingery tout communication again as a core component in managing anesthesia. Lowder believes “it is critical to have open lines of communication with your anesthesia provider. Treating those providers as partners and making a good-faith effort to see your facility operations through the lens of the anesthesia provider’s business is critically important.”

Gingery agrees, saying “there must be guidelines in place to outline provider needs and avoid a surprise bill or the incorrect number of providers on a given day. Either of these preceding situations can affect your financial bottom line, and most importantly, your surgeons and patrons.”

While in the PACU, “nurses need to be knowledgeable in both common and uncommon reactions,” say Dos Santos Jensen and James. “Although most nurses will anticipate common symptoms, there are lesser-known complications as well. A patient experiencing Emergence Agitation is generally completely disoriented and unable to be reoriented.” This becomes a safety risk for both the patient and the staff that teams must be prepared to address.

With the bad, comes the good: Most rewarding aspect of working with anesthesia

“Anesthesia providers are very knowledgeable and skilled. The most rewarding aspect of working with these providers is the collaboration of care between specialties. Developing relationships with them and earning their respect and trust is highly gratifying. Coordination of care for these patients can be seamless and highly effective when a positive and long-standing relationship between the RN and the provider has been established.” —Thaina Dos Santos Jensen, BSN, RN, and Jenny James, BSN, RN, CPAN

“If you develop a good daily working relationship with your anesthesia partners, they can serve as an ally within your facility, a true partner in the development of surgical standardization practices, as well as provide support to your nursing staff.” —Mindy Gingery, MSN, CRNA, ARNP

“Partnering together to deliver exceptional patient care in our facilities!” —Lindsay Lowder

Learn more about benefits, strategies for partnering with anesthesia

The above experts will be presenting key sessions on anesthesia care and operations at the 2024 OR Manager Conference, taking place October 28-30, 2024, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV. Join us for their sessions and gain more insights into addressing the anesthesia staffing shortage, drafting contracts with anesthesia, and addressing emergence agitation in postanesthesia care.

To learn more about the OR Manager Conference and register to attend, visit our website.

When: Tuesday, December 2, 2025 · 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time 

About: 

This webinar will dive into the importance of utilizing antifog surgical masks in clinical settings, examining how the risk of mask fogging can compromise the safety of healthcare providers and patients. Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of surgical masks, what antifog is, and what types of antifog technology are currently available in the market. The Cardinal Health hydrogel surgical mask will also be introduced, and its many features and benefits will be detailed.

Annie Copeland, Global Marketing Director, PPE, Cardinal Health

Annie resides in Massachusetts and has been with Cardinal Health for 8 years. With a degree in English and Marketing from Assumption University, she has held various roles across sales and marketing serving various customer segments. In her current role at Cardinal Health she leads both portfolio strategy and commercial execution for PPE. With a keen focus on clinical insight and customer needs, she aims to deliver a portfolio of PPE products known for reliable performance, designed for comfort and delivering ongoing value.

 

Bridget Stovall, Global Medical Advisor, Cardinal Health

Bridget currently resides in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and has worked for Cardinal Health for about a year. With a BSN from St. Ambrose University, she has a strong work history as a bedside nurse, a Clinical Nurse Leader, an Inpatient Nurse Manager, and now as a Global Medical Advisor. In her current role, she provides clinical expertise and serves as the subject matter expert to support product design, change management, and risk mitigation through product lifestyle. She serves as a clinical consultant and works to align clinical practice, product usage, and user needs.

 

When: Wednesday, December 3, 2025 · 1:00 PM ET 

About:

This continuing education session explores the critical role of double gloving in enhancing safety for both surgical patients and healthcare workers. Participants will gain evidence-based insights into the risks associated with undetected glove perforations and the link between glove integrity and surgical site infections (SSIs). The program reviews recently published literature and consensus recommendations to highlight the benefits of double gloving with an indicator system and changing gloves at specific intervals including improved detection of glove breaches, decreased transmission of bloodborne pathogens, and reduced infection rates.

Carlo Butacan, BSN, RN, CNOR, Clinical Specialist, Molnlycke Health Care.

After completing his Bachelor’s in Psychology at Loyola University Chicago and obtaining a Bachelor’s in Nursing from Lewis University in Romeoville, IL, Carlo has dedicated over 17 years to his career as a registered nurse, primarily specializing in the surgical field. His extensive experience includes actively participating in various procedures, with orthopedics being his preferred focus. This hands-on involvement, both in scrubbing into surgeries and circulating, laid the groundwork for his professional growth.

Carlo transitioned into roles in Quality and Business Management for Surgery, ultimately leading him to his current position as a Clinical Nurse Specialist at Molnlycke. In this role, he is enthusiastic about applying his accumulated knowledge and, most importantly, serving as an educator. Despite his demanding career, Carlo still manages to find time to explore new restaurants in his hometown of Chicago, IL, as well as travel abroad.

 

 

 

When: Thursday, December 4, 2025 · 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Perioperative teams are navigating tighter margins, staffing strain, and new reimbursement pressures such as OBBBA—all while relying on manual and ineffective systems that weren’t built for today’s demands.

Join AssistIQ and health system leaders for a candid roundtable on how hospitals are reimagining supply and implant documentation with AI-powered capture. Panelists will share why they adopted this approach, what implementation looked like, and the measurable impact they’ve seen so far.

“We have a financial ROI. We’ve been on it for six months, and we’ve been able to have a 12% increase in billable revenue and a 50% reduction in expired items.” -Beth Steele, Chief Operating Officer, Owensboro Health Regional Hospital

“Our care team members feel the difference right away. Instead of dealing with barcode scans that may not register or having to manually document, our teams can capture every product quickly and accurately while keeping their focus on the patient.” –Matt Pavlovec, Patient Care Manager, Allina Health

Meet the Speakers:

Amy Brown, MHA is the Director of Customer Delivery at AssistIQ, where she leads implementation and customer success. With a background in healthcare operations, Amy previously worked within Surgical Services at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital before gaining product and technology experience at a healthcare startup. She brings a deep understanding of perioperative workflows and a passion for helping health systems leverage AI to improve efficiency, accuracy, and the clinician experience.

 

Ryan Ott, MPA oversees financial and operational performance across 36 operating rooms and 5 interventional radiology procedure rooms at North Shore University Hospital, part of Northwell Health. His work focuses on optimizing perioperative efficiency through initiatives in scheduling, charge capture, cost savings, and staffing optimization.

Ryan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Psychology from Bucknell University and a Master of Public Administration in Health Policy and Management from New York University.

 

Matt Pavlovec, MBA, BSN, RN brings thirty years of cardiovascular and emergency care experience across EMS and hospital settings. He has led operations spanning patient care, research, and outreach, and for the past six years has managed the Cath Lab, EP Lab, and Prep Recovery at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. Matt’s leadership focuses on operational excellence and advancing care delivery within high-acuity procedural environments.

Megan Harris, MBA is the director of Materials Management at Owensboro Health. With over 11 years of experience in healthcare supply chain, Megan specializes in strategic sourcing, process improvement, GPO product standardization, cost savings, and operational excellence; driving efficiency while fostering collaboration across clinical and operational teams.

When: Wednesday, November 5 | 1:00PM-2:00PM ET

This session introduces clinical nurses to the fundamentals of artificial intelligence in healthcare, with a focus on building AI literacy. We’ll explore essential terminology, real-world examples of generative AI, and ethical frameworks such as the HIMSS “5 Rights of AI.” Participants will gain awareness of emerging technologies, from robotics to AI prompting, and how these tools are influencing clinical workflows, communication, and decision-making.

Agenda:

• Describe key AI concepts and their application in clinical workflows, communication, and decision-making.
• Analyze the ethical considerations of AI in healthcare using frameworks like the “5 Rights of AI in Healthcare.”
• Identify resources and professional development opportunities to cultivate AI literacy and stay current with emerging technologies.

Meet the speaker:

Olga Kagan, PhD, RN, FHIMSS, FAAAAI, NYAM Fellow, is a nurse scientist and educator whose work bridges informatics, innovation, and artificial intelligence in healthcare. Her research and private practice focus on food allergy management and policy through a tech-forward lens. As founder of the Food Allergy Nursing Association (FANA), she advances education and networking for nurses in this emerging subspecialty.

Dr. Kagan teaches graduate nursing informatics and leads initiatives at HIMSS, where she co-developed the “5 Rights of AI for Healthcare” and expanded the AI & Innovation Toolkit. She co-chairs the mHealth & Innovation HITE subcommittee at AAAAI and has served as HIMSS NYS Chapter board member and nursing committee chair, launching its annual Nursing Informatics Symposium in 2021. Currently President-Elect of SONSIEL, she founded its research committee and drives innovation through hackathons and pitch-a-thons globally. At NYAM, she chairs the Nursing Section, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.

Dr. Kagan holds degrees from Hunter-Bellevue and Molloy University and has earned multiple awards for leadership, research, and mentorship. Her thought leadership has been featured on HIMSS TV, several podcasts and in print.

 

When: Tuesday, November 18 at 12:00 PM ET

Objectives:

• Understand the risk of bi-directional pathogen transfer.
  • Gain awareness of how pathogens can move through OR table drapes and the potential implications for patient and staff safety.
• Recognize the value of evidence-based practices.
  • Learn why reviewing the latest scientific research on drape performance is critical for informed decision-making in the OR.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen infection prevention strategies.
  • Discover how selecting and using the right OR table drapes can help reduce infection risks and improve surgical outcomes.

Meet the Speaker: 

Robert Garcia, Infection Prevention Consultant