Editor's Note
The US Senate on August 5 passed the Electronic Health Fairness Act of 2015 (S 1347), which was heavily promoted by the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association.
The legislation protects physicians practicing in ASCs from Medicare meaningful use penalties until a certified electronic health record technology is available for the ambulatory surgery setting.
Similar legislation passed the US House of Representatives in June, and now the chambers must reconcile the slightly different bills into one.
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Electronic Health Fairness Act of 2015 (S 1347). This legislation, one of ASCA's priority bills, protects physicians practicing in ASCs from meaningful use penalties in the Medicare program until a certified electronic health record technology (CEHRT) is available for the ASC setting. Similar legislation passed the US House of Representatives in June.
Read More >>Preparing for an OR renovation or new build project? You may be asking yourself – where should I begin?
The OR Manager Construction-Renovation Webinar Series will serve as your blueprint to tackle the most daunting, but exciting projects in your career. This webinar will answer some of your most pressing questions, including:
These are just some of the considerations to approaching an OR renovation or new build project.Â
Join OR Manager in this 3-part complimentary webinar series as we explore real-world experiences and hear from professional experts to help you navigate your journey through design and beyond. Each session is approved for 1 CE contact hour.
 Who should attend:
OR Managers, Directors, Executive Directors, C-Suite and other Perioperative Leadership.
Learning objectives:Â
Part 1 – Building the Blueprint: Where Do I Begin?
Thursday, March 28
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Eastern
Join us for Part 1 of OR Manager’s Construction-Renovation webinar series as we delve into the foundational aspects of OR renovation and design planning starting with the pre-design and schematic design planning phase – Building the Blueprint: Where Do I Begin?
The pre-design and schematic design planning phase of an operating room renovation/construction project is critical for laying the groundwork for success. In this webinar, we will explore the strategic planning steps from establishing a comprehensive timeline, to ROI justification, to translating the vision into tangible design concepts. We will delve into the intricacies of crafting schematic designs with a specific focus on floor plans and room arrangements. Through case studies and best practices, attendees will gain insights into how to work with your design team in developing plans that meet the overarching vision of the project.
Part 2 – Detailed Design Development Phase: It’s All in the Details – Optimizing Workflow and Staff Engagement
Wednesday, April 10
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Eastern
Join us for Part 2 of OR Manager’s Construction-Renovation webinar series as we delve into the finer details of design plans to optimize efficiencies while engaging front line staff.
The detailed design development phase of operating room projects marks a pivotal stage where attention shifts to the precise placement of essential items, from medical equipment to furniture to information technology components and supplies. This webinar will explore the intricacies of orchestrating detailed design development in OR projects, emphasizing the importance of optimizing item placement to enhance workflow efficiency and patient care. Additionally, participants will discover how this phase presents an opportunity for frontline staff to actively engage in process improvement initiatives, identifying pain points and workarounds to streamline operations and elevate the quality of patient care.
Learning objectives:
Part 3 – Construction and Activation Phase: Navigating Operating Room Construction and Renovation – From Blueprint to Reality
Thursday, April 25
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Eastern
Join us for Part 3 of OR Manager’s Construction-Renovation webinar series as we embark on the final stage of your OR project.
The construction and activation phase of the operating room represents the culmination of meticulous planning and execution, where the vision transforms into tangible reality. In this final webinar, we will explore the intricacies of the construction and activation phase, focusing on the collaborative efforts between key stakeholders to bring the project to fruition. Participants will also gain insights into the detailed work that goes into obtaining capital approvals, creating comprehensive documents to guide construction activities and finalizing budgets. In addition, this webinar will examine best practices, lessons learned and provide take-home tools for anyone who’s about to embark on an OR construction/renovation project.
Learning objectives:
In the evolving realm of healthcare, perioperative leaders and nurses are dedicated to improving outcomes, streamlining operations, and achieving performance excellence. To navigate the growing pressure for efficiency, a profound grasp of analytics is crucial. This webinar, “Data-Driven Strategies for Perioperative Excellence,” combines powerful data insights with practical methodologies essential for realizing efficiency and performance enhancement goals in the perioperative domain.
This comprehensive session dissects key performance indicators (KPIs) within the operating room, addressing obstacles and revealing targeted strategies for success. Perioperative leaders face real-world challenges, and we provide tangible solutions, particularly in maximizing block utilization—an integral component of operational efficiency. Attendees will leave with the confidence to utilize data effectively, driving impactful change and elevating their perioperative practices.
Learning Objectives:
Embark on a transformative journey towards data-driven excellence in perioperative care. This webinar equips you with the knowledge and resources needed to revolutionize your approach, driving meaningful improvements in patient outcomes and operational efficiency. Secure your spot today!
Speakers:
 Annette Alvarado-De Castro, Executive Perioperative Consultant, Fujitsu
Annette Alvarado is Executive Perioperative Consultant at Fujitsu where she specializes in Surgical Capacity Optimization Solutions and Healthy Living Global offerings. She received a Nursing Diploma from Jackson Memorial Hospital School of Nursing with a professional license from the Florida Board of Nursing in 1992. She holds a Bachelors of Science in Nursing, as well as her Masters of Nursing Science and Healthcare Administration from Barry University. Before joining Fujitsu, she served as Vice President of Professional services and Executive Sponsor for Digital Transformation at Baptist Health South Florida. She has over 20 years experience in healthcare operations as a leader. She is a recognized expert in clinical technology and innovative solutions, with past experience as a guest speaker at perioperative events to help clinicians leverage and benefit from advanced technologies.
Claudia Cambero, Senior Operations Research Scientist, Fujitsu
Claudia Cambero is a Senior Operations Research Scientist at Fujitsu Intelligence Technology. She holds a PhD in Operations Research from the University of British Columbia, specializing in Decision Sciences and mathematical modeling for strategic decision-making. Throughout her career spanning over a decade, Dr. Cambero has developed mathematical optimization, advanced data analytics and decision support systems across various industries. Her focus during the last 5 years has been on the ideation and development of Healthcare Transformation projects. In her current role, Dr. Cambero leads the technical design and development of Surgical Capacity Optimization solutions using Fujitsu’s cutting-edge optimization technologies.
Providing reliable and safe patient care continues to be a focus of medical professionals and leaders within organizations, especially as many health systems transition to high-reliability organizations (HRO).
As part of the HRO journey, quality and safety leaders are charged with evaluating data for process improvement. Asking the right questions of the data, in addition to making connections to existing ideas and solutions in new and unusual ways, will drive reliability in your organization. A robust process for asking the right questions and having confidence in the data collection methods allows leaders to drive innovative solutions to patient safety initiatives.
This session will review the process of asking beautiful questions within the five principles of HRO. Real-time data collection methodology in the perioperative arena will serve as an example for patient safety and surgical quality dashboards. Examples of process improvement initiatives based on the reports will be presented.Â
Participants will be empowered to replicate these processes in their own facilities to keep every patient safe every time.
Learning Objectives
Speakers:
Aileen R. Killen, RN, PhD,
Director, Perioperative Excellence,
LiveData, Inc.
Jeffrey Oliver, Lt Col, Ret., CCNS, CNOR,
Clinical Support Specialist,
LiveData, Inc.
Maximizing surgeon and staff productivity and efficient use of operating room time (and minimizing conflict) that arises around surgeon accessibility and efficient use of operating room time is an achievable goal when all stakeholders have the capability to easily access transparent and actionable data. Adopting technology with predictive and prescriptive data analytics drives meaningful conversations, builds a collaborative culture and strengthens multidisciplinary relationships, while improving access to optimal patient care.
Learning Objectives:
Speakers:
Surgery scheduling is the nucleus of the Operating Room and has always been a challenge. Historically, surgery schedulers and nurses have employed ledgers, Kardex systems, and a variety of other methods to combat the variability and simplify the process. The use of computers has assisted, but ORs are continually asked to meet the demands of surgeons, staff, and patients.
Join Aileen Killen, RN, PhD, CPPS, Director, Perioperative Operational Excellence and Jeff Oliver, Lt Col, Ret. Clinical Support Specialist to discuss the challenges of surgical scheduling and strategies that can be employed to mitigate those challenges. Using published literature and expert opinion, we will explore the difficulties and nuances of scheduling, block time, OR policies involving scheduling, surgical suite governance, and patient and staff satisfaction. You will discover how using a comprehensive scheduling software program can optimize OR utilization, forecast demand, provide data for decision-making and process improvement, boost satisfaction for patients and staff.
By attending this webinar, the speakers will shed light on how to:
Speakers:
Aileen R. Killen, RN, PhD, CPPS, Director, Perioperative Excellence, LiveData, Inc.
Jeffrey Oliver, Lt Col, Ret., CCNS, CNOR, Clinical Support Specialist, LiveData, Inc.
In today’s fast-paced healthcare environment, perioperative leaders face numerous challenges, including increased patient volumes, complex scheduling, and limited resources. To overcome these obstacles and provide exceptional patient care, it is crucial to quickly identify opportunities in order to streamline the surgical workflow. The challenges of maximizing patient access, ensuring surgeon satisfaction, and achieving resource utilization in the preoperative space have led to the development of innovative solutions. Â
Join Lee Health’s Vice President of Surgical Services to hear how integrated AI technology with a team of experts through their partnership with LeanTaaS rapidly transformed surgical operations following implementation systemwide.  This session will explore how AI-driven data insights is revolutionizing surgical workflow management and enabling healthcare organizations achieve remarkable outcomes.Â
Key results include:Â Â
Learning objectives
Speaker:
Cheri Cartwright, MSN, RN System Vice President of Surgical Services Lee Health |