When people think of “integrated” or “hybrid” ORs, they tend to think of huge monitors and innovative new features such as augmented reality, virtual reality and robotics....

People who love the outdoors and value affordable living are flocking to Boise, Idaho, making it one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. This incredible population...

Normally we profile one new or recently renovated facility in this section of the Special Edition on Surgical Construction, but this year we decided to try something a little...

My staff and I are just catching our breath after the completion of a 13-month expansion of our multispecialty surgery center — a whirlwind process that presented...

The state-of-the-art Shields Surgery Center opened last summer in Medford, Mass., four years after its developers devised a proof of concept. “Looking back, it’s hard to believe...

You wouldn’t have devoted your life to surgery if you hadn’t fallen head over heels the first time you laid eyes on an OR. Sure, your commitment has been tested...

There’s a lot to juggle at a busy health system with nine operating rooms in which an average of 50 surgical cases are performed each day. When it came to my attention...

Great ideas for your OR

Why not? That’s the attitude Frances Farley, MD, instilled in me when I was training to be a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Michigan Medicine. Dr. Farley, a fellow pediatric...

Surface cleaning has been at the top of everyone’s mind for nearly two years during the pandemic. The truth is, this should always be the case, as ORs are high-risk areas...

You want to know the likes, dislikes and quirks of every staff member on your team, but it’s not always easy to get to know the person behind the mask. To remedy this issue, one problem-solving director came up with a simple way...

Last-minute changes to the surgical schedule, surgeon requests or cases that require specialized instrumentation could throw a wrench into how smoothly instruments flow through your facility. Installing a whiteboard in the hall...

Discharge specialists at Vance Thompson Vision in Sioux Falls, S.D., recover patients and help them to their cars when they’re ready to head home. “We decided to prioritize discharge efficiency, which allows for better...

Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan (OAM) at Midtowne, a freestanding surgery center in Grand Rapids, provided free lunches to joint replacement patients and the person who accompanies them to the facility after launching...

Staff appreciation gestures have been a mainstay of the first year of operations at National Ambulatory Surgery Center in San Jose, Calif. Whether it’s a more formal designation for the Employee of the Quarter...

During fire drills — as well as in the event of an actual fire emergency — some facilities place a magnet on the outside of a room that says “Checked” or similar language to confirm that a room has been evacuated. This ensures...

Instrument cleaning and sterilization is a complicated process rife with potential oversights and failures, so how can you be completely certain your facility’s tools are...

You notice a sudden rise in the patient’s temperature and end-tidal CO2 levels along with an elevated heart rate and the early signs of muscle rigidity. The symptoms point...

Managing postoperative pain is a key to success in same-day surgery, as it is one of the core factors that allows patients to go home hours after procedures. Use this quiz...

Successful airway management can mean the difference between an uneventful surgery and a devastating outcome. “Anesthesia providers need to diligently evaluate...