McKesson and OR Manager Take Aim at Optimizing Surgical Suite Performance

ATLANTA -- McKesson recently announced the OR Benchmarks Collaborative in association with OR Manager, Inc., a leader in providing operating room (OR) management information.  The Collaborative is designed to enable healthcare organizations to compare their current surgical services data against new OR capacity management indicators in order to target areas for performance improvement. The OR Benchmarks Collaborative represents Phase I of a multi-phased McKesson initiative aimed at expanding benchmarking in high-cost, high-profit, resource-intensive areas such as the OR. It is the initial step in offering a new generation of industry-accepted benchmarks. 

The OR Benchmarks Collaborative offers more accurate and detailed benchmark information than whats available through other industry sources, says Greg Taylor, vice president and general manager of resource management solutions for McKesson Provider Technologies. We are providing organizations with an effective way to get better information about their efficiency and make improvements that will enhance quality and reduce costs. The OR Benchmarks Collaborative combines McKessons expertise in clinical and surgical services information systems with OR Managers in-depth knowledge base in OR management and benchmarking.

Participants in the Collaborative can compare their data against these new benchmarks, allowing organizations to see how their costs, staffing and case time compare with peers.  They can then use that analysis to identify process improvements that will enhance quality and reduce costs.

Because the OR is the hospitals leading profit and cost center, improving performance in the OR is critical, says Elinor Schrader, president of OR Manager, Inc. Based on benchmarking report findings, decision-makers can begin to implement needed change in the OR and give positive feedback to staff for those areas where performance has proven to be exceptional.

Utilizing the OR Benchmarks Collaborative, an organization can measure and benchmark the following key performance indicators:

Prime-time utilization