Editor's Note This fall, the OR Manager Conference will bring outpatient and postanesthesia care innovation to the forefront with its dual spotlight on poster presentations and leadership awards. Both initiatives emphasize the evolving needs and accomplishments of perioperative teams in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and postanesthesia care units (PACUs), offering…
Editor's Note The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) launched a new pain management toolkit that prioritizes multimodal strategies to improve outcomes and reduce opioid use in ambulatory surgery. Designed for the unique challenges of outpatient care, the resource provides practical, evidence-based guidance to optimize safety, comfort, and recovery.…
Editor's Note With healthcare leaders stretched thin by staffing shortages, financial pressures, and the constant need to adapt, the 2025 OR Manager Conference agenda couldn't be more timely—or more practical. We asked our Program Committee members to share the sessions they're prioritizing this year. Their picks promise real solutions and…
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…
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.…
Editor's Note Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) continue to offer significant cost savings over hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs), but payment inequities, regulatory constraints, and growing competitive pressures are straining operations and growth prospects. Recent data show wide cost differentials between settings, Becker’s ASC Review June 20 reports. A Blue Health Intelligence…
Editor's Note Federal regulators and major insurers are independently moving to ease long-standing burdens on ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), potentially reshaping the regulatory and administrative landscape in which perioperative leaders operate. According to Ambulatory Surgery Center News June 23, ASC stakeholders are actively engaging with the new Anticompetitive Regulations Task…
Editor's Note Surgeons are performing robotic shoulder replacements in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) for the first time, signaling a significant shift in the trajectory of outpatient total joint arthroplasty. According to Outpatient Surgery Magazine May 7, the world’s first robotic total shoulder replacement outside of a hospital took place on…
Editor's Note Two major players in outpatient surgical care are taking sharply different paths: Surgery Partners is rejecting a buyout bid, while Ascension is making a bold acquisition to rapidly expand its ambulatory surgery center (ASC) footprint. Surgery Partners has formally declined a takeover proposal from Bain Capital, Ambulatory Surgery…
Editor's Note The formerly titled OR Business Management Conference has rebranded as the OR Business Management Summit, reflecting a strategic shift toward more tailored, immersive support for perioperative business leaders, an OR Manager June 10 press release reports. The newly renamed Summit emphasizes curated content, targeted networking, and facility-specific learning…