Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1390520
42 HEALTHCARE NEWS Why ORs are getting a makeover By Mackenzie Bean M any hospitals and health systems nationwide are rethinking the layout of their operating rooms to better accom- modate technology, patients and staff, reports e New York Times. e renovations and reconfigurations are largely driven by the rise of new equipment, such as surgical robots, that healthcare organizations must fit into ORs designed long before such technologies existed. Building a new OR is the most straight- forward way to remedy this issue, but it can be expensive. In some cases, the projects can cost $1 million to $3 million per surgical suite, according to Scott T. Reeves, MD, anesthesia and perioperative medicine chair at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. "e takeaway from Covid is how rigid many operating rooms are. I think you'll see a lot of architecture firms be more nimble in their designs. And while that comes with an increased cost, it's a question of either pay me now or pay me later," said Dr. Reeves, who recently helped redesign the OR at Medical University of South Carolina Children's R. Keith Summey Medical Pavilion. Smaller hospitals with tighter budgets are also getting more creative with OR design when total renovations are not feasible. Such efforts include raising OR ceilings to the new standard of 12 feet to 16 feet, mounting monitors to the wall to free up floor space or repurpos- ing adjoining rooms to hold electronics and other equipment. Whether refitting or rebuilding an OR from the ground up, the biggest ques- tion hospitals will continue to grapple with is how to "future proof " these clini- cal areas amid such rapid technological advancements, the Times said. n North Carolina ophthalmologist lands $100K investment on 'Shark Tank' A nika Goodwin, MD, an ophthalmologist from Greensboro, N.C., walked away from her appearance on the entrepreneurial-themed reality TV show Shark Tank with a $100,000 investment in her beauty products company, according to an ABC 11 report. Dr. Goodwin developed a line of magnetic eyelashes when she realized the glue-on lashes she had been using damaged her natural eyelashes. She launched the company in February 2020 to provide safe ocular beauty products. Kendra Scott, a jewelry designer, purchased 20 percent of Dr. Goodwin's com- pany, OpulenceMD Beauty, during her April 9 appearance on the TV show. "As a doctor, I think we should never have to sacrifice our health to look good," Dr. Goodwin states on her website. "Yet that's the bind the beauty industry puts us in, especially when it comes to ocular health. And that's when I realized my experience as a physician and consumer put me in a unique position to create products that would free all of us from making that choice." OpulenceMD Beauty offers eye makeup and skin care products in addition to magnetic lashes. n Physician accused of pocketing nearly $300K in COVID-19 relief funds: 4 details By Laura Dyrda T he federal government has charged a Colorado physician with misap- propriating thousands of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds from his practice for personal use. Four details: 1. In an indictment unsealed April 7 in Denver, Francis Joseph, MD, of High- lands Ranch, Colo., is accused of transferring about $118,000 from his medical clinic's account to his personal bank account. The money was provided to the practice as part of the Accelerated and Advanced Payment Program and Provider Relief Funds, two federal programs to assist medical providers during the pandemic. 2. After Dr. Joseph was terminated from the clinic, he applied for a Paycheck Protection Program loan on behalf of the clinic totaling $179,999 and alleg- edly pocketed those funds as well. 3. The indictment also accuses Dr. Joseph of filing for bankruptcy on behalf of his former clinic without the knowledge of the clinic owners. He allegedly submitted documents with false claims about the misappropriated federal funds in the filing. 4. Dr. Joseph is charged with theft, wire fraud and making false statements, according to the U.S. Justice Department.