Safety

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November 2025
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Emergency preparedness: Identifying essential supplies for unplanned surgical events

While most emergency surgical procedures are carried out uneventfully and safely, the OR is also a place where potentially life-threatening and least-expected instances can arise. Emergencies such as malignant hyperthermia, intraoperative cardiac arrest, and anaphylaxis can catch OR leaders and staff off guard. Perioperative teams need proper and adequate preparation…

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By: Lesley Barton
July 30, 2025
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Navigating OR construction design, compliance, approval in a booming ASC market

Editor’s Note: This page is a companion piece to the main article, Proper planning prevents OR construction, renovation cost creep. It brings together four focused updates on OR and ambulatory surgery center (ASC) construction and renovation: Regulatory shifts: The Joint Commission's updated safety and sustainability requirements for hospitals and ASCs, including new…

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By: Uyen Vo
July 23, 2025
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Proper planning prevents OR construction, renovation cost creep

How would you describe the ideal OR? Whatever the answer, the chance to reimagine and reshape the perioperative suite can be among the most exciting projects of a perioperative leader’s career. However, OR construction and renovation also can be among the most daunting projects of a perioperative leader’s career. Just…

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By: Uyen Vo
July 23, 2025
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Blast from the past: Revised data, evolving standards for OSA care in the perioperative setting

An estimated 22 million Americans were believed to have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in 2019, according to data cited in a February 2019 article published by OR Manager. At that time, up to 80% of cases were undiagnosed, and 30% to 40% of the surgical patient population was believed to…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
July 18, 2025
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Scrubs to startups: Viral neurosurgeon is breaking barriers, fixing spines, advocating for safer ORs

Neurosurgeon Dr Betsy Grunch is known online as @Ladyspinedoc

When Betsy Grunch, MD, FAANS, FACS, FCNS, board-certified neurosurgeon known on TikTok and Instagram as @Ladyspinedoc, watched a viral video of a surgeon berating an OR nurse during a livestreamed procedure, she was incredibly bothered by the shameful display. She took to her popular platform and spoke out against that…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
July 8, 2025
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ASC adaptability depends on properly structured leadership

Takeaways • Different types of ASC leadership structures can be adapted to meet organizational needs. • Regulations, accreditation standards, size, and ownership types are examples of factors influencing the leadership structure. • Ongoing success of the ASC leadership team depends on factors such as governing body diversity and strategic planning.…

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By: Cynthia Saver, MS, RN
July 1, 2025
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Mobile ORs can change the game, bridge gaps in surgical care

Imagine an innovative, safe, and highly efficient OR not confined by walls but on wheels—crossing rugged terrains, bustling cities, and disaster-stricken areas to deliver life-saving surgical care in underserved areas. That is the premise and promise of mobile ORs. They are not just mobile units. With some of the technological…

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By: David Cotriss
July 1, 2025
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Hidden head injury hazards expose cracks in OR safety culture

One of the most sobering moments in the career of anesthesiologist Cornelius Sullivan, MD, occurred not as a caretaker in the OR, but as a patient in the emergency department. Having been knocked out cold by a low-hanging monitor during a surgical procedure at Boston Children’s Hospital, he had to…

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By: Matt Danford
July 1, 2025
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OR Business Management Summit Announces 2026 Program Committee 

Rockville, MD—June 24, 2025—OR Business Management Summit announced today its 2026 Program Committee—a dedicated, diverse team of perioperative business management leaders with deep experience in operational efficiency, financial performance, and strategic OR leadership. The event will take place February 9–11, 2026, at the Hilton Austin in Austin, TX.  A strategically…

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By: Barbara Cucci
June 24, 2025
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How gender norms shape perioperative nurse career paths

Before Florence Nightingale revolutionized nursing in the mid-19th century, men played the crucial role of nurses on the battlefield. However, as time passed, nursing became a female-dominated profession. Men and women received the same level of training and worked together during World War I, but the men were called orderlies…

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By: Kristi Van Winkle, RN ,BSN, LNC
June 18, 2025
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