Editor's Note The American Journal of Infection Control published a study on October 13 showing the risks of manually cleaning medical equipment, Healthcare Purchasing News October 14 reports. The study emphasizes the importance of proper procedures and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce risk of contamination. The…

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Editor's Note The last day of the OR Manager Conference saw perhaps its most inventive breakout session yet. The ambulatory surgery center (ASC) leadership roundtable panel led attendees through an education-filled hour marked by games, interaction, and trivia. “Technology is the way of the future, it is here, and we…

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Editor's Notes Sherry Rogers, director of robotics at Emory Healthcare, identified key elements for establishing operational excellence in robotic surgery during this breakout session on the last day of the conference. Rogers noted the practices and procedures she and her colleagues apply to Emory’s robotics program that have helped them…

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Editor's Note  Jeff Whitehorn, LFACHE, ACC, founder of Whitehorn Coaching and Consulting, concluded the OR Manager Conference on Wednesday, October 19, by discussing culture CPR—the acronym which, as he explained, stands for Celebration, Passion, and Recognition—as well as best practices for successfully retaining staff. Healthcare lost 20% of its workforce,…

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Editor's Note “Is your OR ready for a DEA [Drug Enforcement Administration] inspection?” was the question Dennis Wichern, MBA, partner at Prescription Drug Consulting, asked attendees of this breakout session. As a retired DEA agent, Wichern discussed the ways the DEA has been involved in the medical field, specifically pertaining…

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Editor's Note Only 26 states require the reporting of surgical site infections (SSIs) to either the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) or the state, Lisa Berus, MSN, MEd, RN, CAIP, CNAMB, CASSPT, senior director at SCA Health, explained in this two-part breakout session.…

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Editor's Note  Rose Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, a professor emeritus at Florida Atlantic University, concluded day two of the OR Manager Conference with a packed keynote presentation. Sherman tapped into 3 focus points: COVID-19’s impact on how nurses view their work, the implications of generational shifts, and leadership strategies…

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Editor's Note: Originally published in 2022, this session recap remains highly relevant as OR leaders continue to face renovation projects amid shifting technology, staffing demands, and infrastructure renovation needs. We have resurfaced it as part of our ongoing focus on capital planning and perioperative design—even years later, the fundamentals still…

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Editor's Note “We like to say PSIs [patient safety indicators] are a marathon, not a sprint. Small progress is still progress,” said Holly Taylor, DNP, RN, CNOR, NPD-BC, CNAMB, Quality Management Coordinator at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) at this OR Manager Conference session. Taylor and fellow…

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Editor's Note David Wyatt, PhD, MPH, RN, CNOR, NEA-BC, chief nursing officer of the University Hospitals at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, opened the OR Manager Conference on Monday, October 17, by discussing how to move forward as leaders with resilience and purpose. In a leadership…

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