The Business of Surgery Supply chain is the lifeblood of the OR, so any disruption in the flow of that lifeblood can lead to outcomes ranging from dissatisfaction with backorders to chaos if a new implant doesn’t arrive on time. But disruption also can be a positive force, especially if it supports flow. When…
Each year at the OR Business Management Conference, an outstanding leader receives the Best in OR Business Award. The 2019 award will be presented to Tracy Raymond, MHA, BHA, CRCST, CHL, perioperative services business manager at Amita Health Saint Joseph Medical Center (formerly Presence Saint Joseph), a 480-bed hospital in…
Multiple requests for new equipment and technology—usually from surgeons but also sometimes from staff—are not uncommon. As part of their due diligence, OR leaders must determine whether the return on investment (ROI) justifies the purchase. Doing ROI calculations systematically—and involving key stakeholders—can help ensure that the organization makes the best…
After transitioning from a paper-based data and operations management system to one that uses relational database software, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center (LHMC) in Burlington, Massachusetts, saved more than $1 million in product purchases in 2017. The surgical value analysis committee (VAC) evaluated 150 product requests and managed the conversion…
In the past few months, the Joint Commission has implemented a new process for accreditation surveys and changed the wording and interpretation of some standards, particularly infection control. At the 2018 OR Manager Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, in September, John R. Rosing, MHA, FACHE, executive vice president and principal of…
A greater focus on cost cutting and improving quality of care, a rise in outpatient procedures, and increased demand for cost and quality transparency were among the major healthcare trends projected for 2018. It’s safe to say these will continue to dominate in 2019 and beyond. A year ago, all…
Multiple requests for new equipment and technology—usually from surgeons but also sometimes from staff—are not uncommon. As part of their due diligence, OR leaders must determine whether the return on investment (ROI) justifies the purchase. Doing ROI calculations systematically—and involving key stakeholders—can help ensure that the organization makes the best…
A common strategy for managing OR utilization is block scheduling: Assigning surgical time to individual surgeons or surgeon groups based on their volume. But what sounds like a simple process is often complicated by the potential for dissatisfaction and reduced utilization. Yet done effectively, block scheduling can significantly boost the…
Polls leading up to the midterm elections put healthcare as the top issue of concern among likely voters, with gun policy, Supreme Court nominees, the economy and jobs, and education right behind it. In a year fraught with an ever-widening chasm along party lines, there were distinctly different priorities among…
Interest in the OR Business Management Conference has grown steadily in tandem with the number of proposals submitted each year. More than 400 individuals attended the conference in 2018, and they left with tools and strategies to implement in a variety of clinical settings upon their return. Feedback from attendees…
