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November 2012 See the full issue

A surgeon blasts dangerous care, calls for ’transparency revolution’

Does your OR have a Hodad, a Raptor, or a Shrek? These are handles for dangerous surgeons that Martin Makary, MD, MPH, describes in his scathing new book, Unaccountable. Dr Makary, a surgeon and patient safety leader at Johns Hopkins, advocates a “transparency revolution” to make data public and motivate…

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By: OR Manager
November 13, 2012
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Editorial

She recalls it as one of her worst days as an OR director. She was paged to the postanesthesia care unit. When she got there, the surgeon told her there had been a horrible mistake. He had performed a total knee replacement on the wrong side. The surgeon asked if…

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By: OR Manager
November 13, 2012
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Kanban: The secrets of a strong OR supply system

A kanban system seems like a logical method for managing surgical supplies. But it needs a strong foundation to be successful. Kanban, a Lean manufacturing method, relies on visual signals and standard work (related articles). The idea is to be able to tell at a glance that you have what…

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By: OR Manager
November 13, 2012
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Kanban: A fresh approach to case cart assembly

Opening a new hospital gave a New York health system an opportunity to take a fresh approach to the OR supply chain. The 483-bed Orange Regional Medical Center, with 12 ORs, opened in 2011, consolidates surgical volume from 2 smaller hospitals. The Orange Regional Medical Center is part of the…

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By: OR Manager
November 13, 2012
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OR supply cabinets: Just enough of the right stuff

If you opened a supply cabinet in one of your ORs, what would you find? For many, the answer might be, “a mess.” That was the situation for Martin Memorial Health Systems, Stuart, Florida. Even though the supply cabinets had par levels, when a supply was running low, clinicians would…

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By: OR Manager
November 13, 2012
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Kanban, ’pick paths‘ aid OR supply management

Stock-outs were the “burning platform” that caused staff and managers to jump into a 2-year project to overhaul a 22-room OR’s supply management. The previous “system” had been a dissatisfier for OR clinicians and supply staff. Supplies in the OR storeroom weren’t kept in any order. Reordering was hit or…

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By: OR Manager
November 13, 2012
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Teaching hospitals are adding business managers

As financial pressures grow, ORs are adding business managers. That’s particularly true for teaching hospitals, where 64% now have a business manager, and for larger ORs with 10 or more rooms, where 55% do, according to the 22nd annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey. In contrast, 5 years ago, just 47%…

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By: OR Manager
November 13, 2012
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OR debriefings put the safety checklist ‘on steroids’

See it, say it, fix it. That saying by a former FedEx pilot set the stage for a major quality improvement effort in surgical services at a South Carolina medical center. A key QI tool is debriefings performed at the end of every case. These quick exchanges help to bring…

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By: OR Manager
November 13, 2012
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Spore test for liquid chemical sterilant processing system

A spore test strip is now available for the Steris System 1E Liquid Chemical Sterilant Processing System. The Steris Verify Spore Test Strip for S40 was cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2012. What is the role of this new spore test strip? How is this…

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By: OR Manager
November 13, 2012
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ASCs seek dialog on drug shortages, single-use vials

A new villain has emerged in the struggle against drug shortages that continue to plague health care: the single-use vial. When a vial of injectable medication contains more than a particular patient needs, if the vial is designated “single-use,” the remainder must be discarded, according to recommendations from the Centers…

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By: OR Manager
November 13, 2012
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