OR Manager Conference spotlights ASC, PACU leadership with poster presentations, awards

Editor's Note

This fall, the OR Manager Conference will bring outpatient and postanesthesia care innovation to the forefront with its dual spotlight on poster presentations and leadership awards. Both initiatives emphasize the evolving needs and accomplishments of perioperative teams in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and postanesthesia care units (PACUs), offering leaders a platform to showcase results-driven projects and gain national recognition.

The 2025 Poster Gallery is accepting proposals through July 30 for quality and process improvement projects, including those focused on outpatient surgery care and perianesthesia care. This opportunity gives perioperative professionals, particularly from ASCs and PACUs, a chance to visually present research, pilot initiatives, or novel solutions that address real-world leadership challenges. Posters will be on display throughout the event’s Periop Networking & Innovation Hub, with scheduled presentations on October 28 and 29 at the Anaheim Convention Center, California.

Now in its fourth year, the Poster Gallery also includes awards for the top three presentations, judged on originality, practical relevance to perioperative leadership, and their ability to solve problems through new approaches. Running in parallel with the poster program, the OR Manager Awards will recognize standout leaders in perioperative care during a ceremony on October 30. Nominations also are open until July 30 and include distinct categories for ASC Leader of the Year and PACU Leader of the Year.

According to the awards criteria, honorees will be selected based on measurable improvements to operations, patient care, staff development, and innovation—traits especially critical in ASC and PACU settings, where leaders often operate with lean teams and must respond quickly to patient and workflow needs. The conference organizers encourage eligible nurses in leadership roles to submit either a poster or a nomination—or both—if they are driving change in surgical care delivery.