Operating Room (OR)

Christine Halowell is Named OR Manager of the Year

This year’s OR Manager of the Year is Christine Halowell, MS, RN, CNOR, of Banner Baywood Medical Center. Every year during Managing Today’s OR Suite, an OR Manager of the Year Award is presented to a deserving individual who has performed exceptionally in his or her ...More
September 28, 2011
Posted in News
Analysis of Supply Chain Proves Cost-Effective, Especially in Pediatric and Perioperative Settings

Hospital administrators continue to look for ways to save money and by taking a closer look at their supply chain processes, they’re finding them. A Thompson Reuters 2009 study reported 50 percent of hospitals surveyed were unprofitable in the third quarter of 2008, while ...More
September 1, 2011
Posted in News
Study Cites Multiple Causes for Retained Surgical Items

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will no longer reimburse healthcare facilities for the additional patient care related to "never events," including outcomes associated with a surgical item that has been left in the patient. For reimbursement and patient ...More
August 9, 2011
Posted in News
Sustainability Solutions That Work: How to Achieve Optimal Reprocessing Results

There’s no question the healthcare industry is at a critical juncture. The pressure on healthcare providers to offer value without sacrificing quality has never been greater. But for change to happen, the responsibility to find innovative solutions to reduce costs and ...More
August 9, 2011
Posted in News
School Prepares Future Nurses for the OR Environment, Emphasizes Aseptic Technique

The Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing (FPB) at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) will introduce mandatory perioperative nursing content to its undergraduate curriculum this fall and will become one of the first schools to do so. The newly designed courses in acute ...More
August 2, 2011
Posted in News, Policies and Practice
Microbial Load on Instruments in 'Clean' Surgeries Reinforces Need for Antibiotic Prophylaxis

The number of orthopedic surgery cases, especially total hip and knee surgeries, has increased due to technological advances. Investigators at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil; sought to determine the microbial load in the instruments used in clean surgeries, ...More
July 26, 2011
Posted in News, Infections & Pathogens
Surgeons' Civility in the OR Benefits Patients, Reduces Costs

A surgeon’s behavior in the operating room affects patient outcomes, healthcare costs, medical errors and patient- and staff-satisfaction, says a commentary in the July issue of Archives of Surgery. In an increasingly rude society where it is rare for a stranger to give up ...More
July 18, 2011
Posted in News
Non-Scrubbed Personnel in Cardiac Surgery Have Poor Infection Control Compliance

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are challenging problems leading to significant postoperative morbidity and mortality and may reflect the level of adherence to infection control policies. Researchers from Mater dei Hospital in Msida, Malta used a structured observational ...More
July 11, 2011
Posted in News, Infections & Pathogens
2011 State of the Industry Report: Operating Room

This slide show presents highlights from ICT's annual report examining industry demographics and key trends. ...More
June 23, 2011
Posted in Galleries
Addressing OR Challenges Through Smart Instrument Purchasing

Hospital operating rooms (ORs) and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) must confront more than their fair share of challenges in the current healthcare environment. Many facilities are working with limited capital and non-capital budgets; facilities have cut back on spending. ...More
June 21, 2011
Posted in News