As margins tighten and labor pressures intensify, perioperative leaders are re-evaluating the levers that shape everyday efficiency and performance. One such lever — used in every OR, by every team, for every case — is the preference card. Surgeon preference cards have long held a conflicted identity: they’re indispensable, yet…
Editor's Note Training with surgical preference cards significantly lowers anxiety and strengthens clinical competence among OR nursing students, according to a randomized controlled trial published in BMC Medical Education on October 2. The study enrolled 60 OR nursing students in Iran between 2023 and 2024. Students were randomly assigned to…
The ongoing turbulence in global trade policy, particularly the re-escalation of tariffs on medical supplies from China and other countries, is weighing heavily on US healthcare operations. Sweeping US trade policy shifts this year are sparking great concern, but while 2025 has seen unprecedented tariff escalations and supply chain volatility,…
Editor's Note For some surgeons, treating patients goes hand-in-hand with healing the environment. Consider an April 23 report in Medical Xpress. Detailing sustainability efforts at Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center by pediatric surgeon Ami Shah, MD, and her colleague Brian Gulack, MD, the article showcases how rethinking everyday surgical routines…
Editor's Note A retrospective review of 14 hospitals over 7 years found that robotic cholecystectomy costs were, on average, 2.5 times higher than laparoscopic cholecystectomy ($1,447 vs. $669 per case). Findings were published on March 19 in the journal Surgery. Disposable instrument choices also impact costs. Despite the rising adoption…
Editor's Note As executive director of the Association for Health Care Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM), Michael Schiller, CMRP, gets regular insight into strategies employed by healthcare organizations, suppliers, technology leaders and frontline staff—insight he was happy to share with OR business Management Conference attendees in a February 11 presentation.…
Editor's Note Outdated and inaccurate preference cards cost hospitals millions of dollars in delayed surgeries wasted supplies—but with the right strategy, they can become a powerful tool for efficiency and cost reduction. This was among the main takeaways of a 2025 OR Business Management Conference presentation from Jason Goodwin, MPH,…
Takeaways • Interdepartmental collaboration and standardized communication are essential to quickly identifying and addressing supply chain challenges. • Just-in-time inventory strategies have gained traction since the pandemic. Successful strategies involve leveraging data, rethinking preference card management, and shifting to a demand-planning model. • Resiliency is essential to cope with the…
I still recall being handed roughly 10 boxes of suture anchors to practice with years ago at New York University (NYU) medical school. “Aren’t these needed here?” I asked incredulously. “Not at all,” came the answer, despite a hefty price tag of $1,000 per box. In fact, getting the suture…
Editor's Note For Northwell Health University System, a large hospital system in New York state, saving millions in OR expenses in just a few years’ time was possible not just through meticulous analytics, but also cultural transformation. This was among the chief conclusions of a session led by Adam Becker,…
