The Business of Surgery 
ORs are a key revenue driver for hospitals, with surgical services accounting for nearly half of hospital margins. Efficient use of OR time is therefore critical to sustaining and growing hospital revenue and profitability. Perioperative leaders face an ongoing challenge in optimizing OR utilization, however, because of the common mindset…
A previous issue of OR Manager included the article, "Building a business case for new technology," which featured tips from leaders at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center on the importance of building a thorough business case for implementing new technology in the OR. With the next OR Business Management…
In an era where the changing landscape of healthcare is placing enormous strain on OR leaders, compensation has increased only slightly, according to the 2023 OR Manager Salary/Career Survey. More than one-third (36%) of respondents earn $150,000 or more, up from 27% last year, but only slightly higher than 2021’s…
Measuring productivity can be a burden for perioperative leaders and their staff, but it also can serve as a means for obtaining needed resources. Part 1 of OR Manager’s two-part series on productivity measurement focused on the value of measuring, challenges, and deciding what should be assessed (see September issue,…
OR Manager’s 2023 Salary/Career Survey included the following question to respondents: “How do you measure productivity in your department?” The answers were eye-opening and spawned a two-part series on “Maximizing productivity measurement”: Part 1 was published in September, and Part 2 (cover story) is included in this issue. The leaders…
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of proper disinfection to manage and contain the spread of the disease. During the pandemic, ultraviolet (UV) disinfection technology played an important role in safeguarding public health and combatting COVID-19. Various uses of UV technology have become available on the market and can be…
The healthcare industry as a whole has faced numerous and unprecedented challenges in the last few years. With each challenge compounded by external pressures, these proverbial spotlights illuminated existing vulnerabilities. The healthcare workforce, particularly nursing, continues to be one of the most impactful vulnerabilities. With the pandemic acting as a…
The OR is the financial motor of a hospital. As such, inefficiencies in this space adversely impact patient safety as well as the financial stability of the hospital and/or healthcare system. The first case on-time starts (FCOTS) metric is one of the primary benchmarks for assessing OR efficiency. The following…
Takeaways • Many tools for measuring productivity do not reflect the complexity of the perioperative setting. • Multidisciplinary teams can help establish productivity metrics and tools. • Productivity measures vary across the perioperative continuum. For most perioperative leaders, discussions about productivity do not top the list of enjoyable parts of…
OR leaders face numerous challenges in managing high patient volumes and complex procedures, as well as in maintaining staff morale. To meet these demands, many ORs have turned to nurse travelers for temporary staffing support. With the addition of nurse travelers, the responsibilities of OR leaders increase, putting them at…
