Survey: Perioperative leaders adapt to supply strain, staffing pressure, ASC growth
Editor's Note Perioperative leaders are reshaping how surgical care is delivered, making pragmatic adjustments in the face of supply shortages, staffing constraints, and shifting surgical volume toward ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Together, the latest three OR Manager pulse polls reveal a profession managing high stakes with a mix of caution,…
OR Business Management Summit chair outlines data-driven strategies for financial, operational success
Although hospital performance from January to April 2025 outpaced the first 4 months of 2024, according to Kaufman Hall’s June 2025 “National Hospital Flash Report,” many surgical departments remain under intense financial pressure. Labor and supply costs continue to rise, while surgical services are especially vulnerable to inefficiencies like labor…
Fast-track ENT days boost surgical volume, cut backlog at UCSF Benioff Children’s
Editor's Note Designating underused neurosurgery blocks for straightforward ENT procedures increased surgical volume and reduced wait times at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco, according to a July 3 report from the Children’s Hospital Association’s 2025 Transforming Quality Conference. The initiative began in early 2024, when ENT leaders and surgical…
AI tools monitor, reduce OR infection risks
Editor's Note AI-enabled sensors, smart surveillance systems, and predictive analytics are advancing perioperative workflows while helping prevent breaches that can lead to surgical site infections (SSIs). This is the primary takeaway of a July 15 Q&A with Herman DeBoard, PhD, CEO of Huvr Inc., in Infection Control Today. As detailed…
Study: Algorithm offers smarter OR scheduling under pressure
Editor's Note A robust scheduling model can significantly improve OR efficiency and stability when surgery and recovery times are unpredictable, according to research published in the journal Mathematics. Using a Genetic Algorithm for Robust Scheduling (GARS), the authors demonstrate a practical and computationally efficient method for minimizing makespan across a…
Study: Surgeon-anesthesiologist familiarity could reduce complications in select surgeries
Editor's Note Greater familiarity between surgeons and anesthesiologists was associated with reduced major morbidity in certain high-risk procedures, according to a Canadian retrospective cohort study published in JAMA Surgery. As detailed in a May 28 report from MedPage Today, the population-based analysis included more than 711,000 index procedures, finding an…
Closing Keynote: Trimming the Sails: Improving Perioperative Efficiency by Managing Same-Day Admission Transitions
Editor's Note Attendees to the 2025 OR Business Management Conference gained new insight with an international flavor from Moustafa Bleik and Fadi Fares, who had flown all the way from Saudi Arabia to detail recent improvements at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center. In a session with multiple audience…
Cloud-based technology addresses resource constraints
Data is collected everywhere, from what we click online to whether we run a red light to how many steps we take each day. There is power in data. When leveraged effectively, data reveal patterns, insights, behaviors, and other potentially actionable intelligence. It stands to reason that data would be…
Tardiness policies fine-tune rural OR reform efforts
When a speaker at a recent conference asked if anyone had achieved a first-case on-time start (FCOTS) rate above 90%, Jay Parker, BSN, RN, could have been the only one in the room with his hand up. However, Parker was not inclined to call attention to himself. As director of…
No construction required—AI uncovers system-wide capacity
Amid rising demand for surgical procedures, improving perioperative operations is a pressing priority for any hospital. For a system serving one of the fastest-growing counties in the US, it becomes an operational imperative. This is the case for WakeMed Health & Hospitals (WakeMed). With ORs spread across multiple facilities in…
Free Daily News
- HFMA warns affordability crisis is driving up provider bad debt
- Report warns sterile processing staffing crisis threatens surgical safety
- Ascension swings to profit as outpatient push, cost cuts take hold
- High BMI alone did not raise early complication risk after outpatient TJA
- AAAHC report spotlights top accreditation deficiencies, strategies for safer ambulatory care
- ACS conference charts bold future for surgical quality with data, teamwork, frontline innovation
- Surgical leaders urged to weigh risks, rewards of innovation with a critical eye
- Health systems report dramatic nurse retention gains through residency, development programs
- Surgical innovation redefines what is possible for advanced colorectal cancer
- CMS proposal to end inpatient only list draws strong industry response