Home Issues OR Manager
September 2018 See the full issue

Surgical volume outpaces growth in nursing staff

The good news/bad news for OR leaders from the 2018 annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey: Surgical volume continues to increase for many hospitals, but staff turnover and recruitment difficulties remain, creating challenges in meeting that increased volume. Another ongoing challenge is reimbursement changes; more than half of respondents report bundled…

Read More

By: Cynthia Saver, MS, RN
August 21, 2018
Share

Orthopedic bundled payment models on the fast track--Part 1

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is poised to launch Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) Advanced on October 1, 2018, and is continuing its Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) bundled payment model for total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA, TKA). “Orthopedics is the most important service…

Read More

By: Cynthia Saver, MS, RN
August 21, 2018
Share

Editorial

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 12 issued a proposed rule with potential changes to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule on or after January 1, 2019. According to CMS, the changes would increase the time available for physicians and other clinicians to spend with their patients…

Read More

By: Elizabeth Wood
August 21, 2018
Share

Aiming high nets 'wins' for OR Manager of the Year

High patient satisfaction scores and excellent multidisciplinary teamwork are the hallmarks of a well-managed surgical services department, and Sharon Udy-Janczuk, MSN, RN, CNOR, NE-BC, the 2018 OR Manager of the Year, has bragging rights to both. By cross-training staff in the presurgical care area, OR, and postanesthesia care unit (PACU),…

Read More

By: Elizabeth Wood
August 21, 2018
Share

Munro Scale research supports streamlining risk levels

The Munro Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment Scale for Perioperative Patients© (Munro Scale) has made great strides in the past year. The tool, which assesses patients’ risk levels at each phase of surgery (preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative), is available from AORN. Cassendra Munro, MSN, RN, CNOR, developed the Munro Scale and…

Read More

By: Judith M. Mathias, MA, RN
August 21, 2018
Share

Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns for 2018

As healthcare strives to become an industry of high-reliability organizations, identifying problems proactively is key. ECRI Institute’s annual Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns for Healthcare Organizations list highlights looming patient safety challenges and offers resources for addressing them. In selecting this year’s list, ECRI Institute relied on data regarding events…

Read More

By: ECRI
August 21, 2018
Share

ASC workforce stable amid rise in cases

Surgical volume in the past year increased for 40% of respondents to the 2018 annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey, down slightly from the 48% reported in 2017. This result is intriguing in light of the proliferation of procedures now being performed in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Does this suggest some…

Read More

By: Cynthia Saver, MS, RN
August 21, 2018
Share

Join our community

Learn More
Video Spotlight
Live chat by BoldChat