Becker's Hospital Review

28 Executive Briefing: Transforming the OR an SSEC. One of its first priorities was reducing case times. Tracking case times by phase helped OR leaders identify mul- tiple opportunities for improving throughput. Anesthesiologists, nurses and surgeons then worked together to streamline pro- cesses. The total effort reduced average case time by 46 min- utes. The SSEC also sponsored preoperative process reforms that reduced same-day cancellations from 6 percent to less than 1 percent. Efficiency improvements boosted utilization, which improved the OR's cost structure. Greater efficiency also helped HJD grow in- cremental case volume, which is the key to OR profitability in a bundled payment environment. Along with other improvements, efficiency gains helped raise the hospital's public profile. In 2013, HJD jumped from no. 10 to no. 5 in the U.S. News & World Report "Best Hospitals" list for orthopedics. Illinois hospital wins top-outcomes rank Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in suburban Chicago is known nationally for quality patient care. In 2007, the hospital joined the Surgical Care Improvement Project. Surgery outcomes were already strong, but OR leaders welcomed the chance to take quality to the next level. One priority was to improve preoperative processes. OR leaders developed standardized scheduling and documentation man- agement systems to ensure the department had complete infor- mation about patients, procedures and risk factors. Anesthesia worked with the surgeon staff to create standard protocols for pre-surgical testing based on patient comorbidities and surgical invasiveness. In addition, the OR strengthened safety by adopt- ing crew resource management techniques, including a surgical safety checklist. All told, the changes created a fully coordinated approach to managing the surgical patient from scheduling through post-op admission — essentially a "surgical home" model of care. Over the next four years, key measures like DVT and UTI rates for complex vascular cases dropped by about 75 percent. In 2009, Lutheran General was cited by the American College of Surgeons for having the lowest post-op complication rate of all hospitals in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. Importantly, care model innovation helped control total costs. Luther- an General's length of stay for some key procedures was one-third lower than U.S. mean outcomes. And the hospital's readmission rate for surgery patients was 25 percent below the national average. A viable path The common characteristic of all these ORs is that they have forged a viable path between rising quality expectations and falling payment. As healthcare reform continues to develop, following this path is the key to maintaining a hospital's bottom-line results. n Jeffry Peters is president and CEO of Surgical Directions. the nation's leader in perioperative consulting offers or, central sterile and Materials leadership interim and permanent placements perioperative & anesthesia consulting · assessment · interim management 312.870.5600 www.SurgicalDirections.com STABILITY TRANSITION Meeting the challenge of change A change in leadership can be disruptive to any organization; critical forward movement and improvements can be hampered or even stopped by the loss of a department leader. At Surgical Directions, we believe finding the experienced professional that fits your need is critical to making the transition to new leadership successful. If you need support for current initiatives or to move in a new direction, our experienced professionals will help you meet your needs in a time of change. Whether you seek an interim or permanent placement, we provide experienced, highly qualified leaders. Our candidates are thoroughly screened and we match their skills and experience to meet the specific needs of your situation. Our proven talent will help you make a seamless transition. We provide interiM and perManent placeMents in: ◗ Surgical Services – Nursing Managers and Directors ◗ Surgical Services – Nurse Educators ◗ Surgical Services – Business Managers ◗ Sterile Processing Department – Managers and Directors Our goal is simple: to provide you with leadership that will insure stability and direction in a time of transition. during during Today's most successful ORs have developed three critical abilities 1. How to engage physicians in solving the oR's biggest problems. 2. How to use modern efficiency principles to create a lean oR. 3. How to use innovation to boost quality, outcomes and safety. "the most exciting thing i've learned is that success in today's perioperative environment is not a fluke." — Jeffry Peters, President and CEO of Surgical Directions Surgical Directions LLC is a national consulting firm based in Chicago that assists hospitals in improving the operational, financial, and market performance of perioperative and anesthesia services. Our consulting team is led by nationally-recognized, practicing anesthesiologists, surgeons, and surgical service professionals experienced in organizational design, block time, surgical scheduling, patient throughput, materials, staffing, strategic planning, and physician relations. Team members have successfully helped over 500 hospitals nationally increase surgical volume, improve clinical outcomes, improve surgeon satisfaction, improve anesthesia satisfaction, and enhance overall perioperative performance.

• Cover