Healthcare consumers and providers alike are watching to see what changes will occur under the administration of President-elect Donald Trump. Thus far, at least a partial repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) seems likely. That’s in part because US Rep Tom Price (R-GA) is Trump’s pick for Health and…
Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a major cause of morbidity in surgical patients, leading to increased length of stay and healthcare costs. No single intervention has demonstrated efficacy in reducing SSIs. When SSIs rose to a rate of 16.3% in 2013 at St Elizabeth Boardman Hospital in Boardman, Ohio, perioperative…
Increasing costs and shrinking margins have continued to pressure business managers and senior hospital leadership to rethink strategies for raising surgeons’ awareness of product and nonlabor costs within the OR. Often providers are asked to cut costs but are unaware of the actual costs of the products they use. In…
Like a football team gathering to confirm tactical details before a play, surgical staff often form a huddle to ensure readiness of the providers, patient, and equipment for the upcoming procedure. In a twist on the traditional huddle the day before surgery, staff at the Hospital of Central Connecticut (HOCC)…
A growing number of new devices, procedures, and drugs are becoming available to alleviate pain, especially the chronic type that lingers after incurring an injury or undergoing surgery. Pain management has become a medical specialty, and most pain relief procedures are appropriate for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Some ASCs make…
Beginning January 1, 2017, the Joint Commission is “making significant changes in its survey methods and its standards manual,” says John R. Rosing, MHA, FACHE, executive vice president and principal, Patton Healthcare Consulting, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and OR managers need to be prepared for them. The reason, he says, is that…
High staff engagement contributes to the success of an organization, but OR managers are finding it tough to engage their staffs, given the multitude of changes in healthcare and stressors in the OR. In the final article of this three-part series, OR Manager examines the challenge of staff engagement, along…
This issue of OR Manager will be published around Thanksgiving, and we hope it won’t be overlooked in the wake of holiday preparations. Important information such as the upcoming Joint Commission survey changes, for example, should not be missed (cover story). Surveys were discussed during the 2016 OR Manager Conference.…