The Business of Surgery Key changes are being proposed in the OR design and construction guidelines that are used by the Joint Commission, federal agencies, and 42 states. OR leaders may wish to offer comments. Comments are accepted until November 22, 2012, on the draft 2014 Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care…
Three ambulances are headed for the hospital with victims of a multivehicle accident. A fourth ambulance is also en route carrying a 52-year-old man with chest pain. Calls come in from the EMS team, which begins streaming real-time vital signs and diagnostic information to the ED. Realizing multiple critically injured…
A patient arrives for surgery. As soon as she checks in, she receives a wristband with a small locator tag that monitors her progress as she moves through the surgical process. Behind the scenes, the tag is signaling the surgical department’s real-time locating system (RTLS), which sends notices to OR…
Are you considering wireless technology for tracking patients, staff, equipment, or supplies? Expert tips are offered by Rick Hampton, wireless communications manager for Partners Healthcare. The Boston-based network includes Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General, and affiliated facilities. Many hospitals are weighing decisions about these technologies, which include RTLS (real-time…
Staff in the cardiovascular OR area of the new Sheikh Zayed clinical tower at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore will be able to locate certain equipment via computer and use a Skype-like camera system to share images of instruments and supplies with the sterile core and sterile processing unit.…
A systemwide focus on supply chain management is helping Sutter Health, a large, Sacramento, California-based health system, to improve its financial performance by adopting best practices and taking a contemporary approach to strategic sourcing, value analysis, and logistical support. The target: Trim $200 million from expenses by 2012, and they’re…
A column on managing the OR revenue cycle How to charge for surgical services is a frequent source of questions from OR directors and business managers. In this column, Keith Siddel, MBA, answers frequent questions about charging. He is an officer with Health Revenue Assurance Associates (HRRA), Plantation, Florida.…
While the deadline for beginning to report quality measures on Medicare claim forms is not until October 1, 2012, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) can start practicing. On April 1, 2012, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a set of reporting codes for the first 5 measures. The…
Perioperative staff and managers face a variety of pressures: improving processes, enhancing patient outcomes, documenting savings, meeting regulations, and more, all in a time of tighter budgets. With so much to balance, it can be difficult to consider (much less sell to upper management) the idea of greening the operating…
An agreement with orthopedic and spine surgeons to share savings has enabled a large medical center to make major strides on its implant costs. It’s also provided eye-opening opportunities to improve patient care. Under the agreement, termed gainsharing, a hospital and physicians enter into a formal contract to share savings…
