Full Conference Agenda

The 2025 OR Business Management Conference program features more than 22 educational sessions designed specifically for perioperative business professionals in all facility types. Additionally, connect with your peers over peer-to-peer roundtable discussions diving into hot topics impacting your unique role. 12 dedicated networking events, including the popular Off-The-Clock excursion, allow you ample time to connect with peers and develop relationships with vendor partners.  Chart your course to business excellence at the 2025 OR Business Management Conference!

Monday, February 10

8:00 am - 5:30 pm
Registration
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Pre-Conference Workshop
Susanna Gallani, PhD, Associate Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

Learning Objectives:

  • Increase patient satisfaction by applying high value principals that transform healthcare delivery.
  • Demonstrate ways to alleviate staff burnout.
  • Improve financial outcomes by leveraging performance management tools.

Hospitals across the country (and beyond) continue to face high performance pressures while stemming the burnout tide among clinicians and non-clinicians. How can we create and foster a work environment where there is alignment, autonomy, and everybody thrives while delivering high value for our patients? In this talk, Dr. Gallani will discuss some of the key lessons from the literature and from her own research that can contribute to a favorable transformation of healthcare delivery organizations. Institutions need to regain ownership of their own strategic goals and execution and leverage performance management tools that embrace diversity, empower agency, and align behaviors in the day-to-day decision making of all participants to the creation of value.

2:00 pm - 2:45 pm
2:45 pm - 3:45 pm
Performance Improvement, Supply Management, Breakout Sessions
Paul Flaherty, CRCST, Manager, Central Sterile Processing & Supply, Massachusetts General Hospital
Joshua Gomez, MPH, Business Operations Manager, Massachusetts General Hospital
Steve Spring, BA, Executive Director Finance, Massachusetts General Hospital

Learning Objectives:

  • Minimize overstocking and restocking of underutilized items. 
  • Apply methods to minimize expenditures by tracking and reallocating non-revenue-generating items.
  • Refine inventory processes to improve financial efficiency.

Join us as we explore a system-wide approach to restructuring inventory management practices with an ambitious goal to reduce spending by $200 million a year. This case study will share actionable strategies to overhaul inventory management practices leading to substantial cost savings.


Eligible for 1 Contact Hour and 1 AEU credit.

*Attendees must attend the full hour and complete the evaluation.

2:45 pm - 3:45 pm
Performance Improvement, Data Analytics, Breakout Sessions
Andrew Schreiner, MSHA, Business Manager, Surgical Services, Northwestern Medicine

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for your OR.
  • Visualize data by applying design principals.  
  • Engage your staff by demonstrating performance results via the dashboard. 

Building your dashboard is an essential business function to measure the OR’s performance. Infinite amounts of data are buried deep in reports and emails. Making your dashboard work for you, whether by service line, department, or provider, allows decisions to be based on concrete data rather than impressions. This session will demonstrate principles to utilize data, engage staff and improve performance.


Eligible for 1 Contact Hour.

*Attendees must attend the full hour and complete the evaluation.

2:45 pm - 3:45 pm
Strategy, Regulatory, Performance Improvement, Finance, Operations, Breakout Sessions
Moderator — Nyleen Flores, BA, FMSP, CPMSM, CPCS, CPCO, CASC, Chief Administrative Officer, Lake Oconee Orthopedics
Janet Carlson, MSN, BSN, RN, NE-BC, FACHE, Executive Director of ASCs, Commonwealth Pain & Spine
Geri Eaves, BSN, RN, CASC, CNOR, CEO and Administrator, The Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee Surgery Center
Fawn Esser-Lipp, MBA, BSN, CASC, CNOR, Executive Director, The Surgery Center LLC
Bob Winandy, MSN, MBA, RN, Chief Executive Officer, Brightside Surgical

Topics for discussion:

  • Explore the boom in surgery center growth across the nation and competition for resources.
  • Examine the shift from in-patient procedures to the outpatient setting. 
  • Explain price transparency laws and compliance.
  • Discover what service lines are thriving.
  • Discuss quality measures and reimbursement.

Learning Objectives:

  • Describe new policies that will impact the operations of ASCs.
  • Explain areas for growth and how that impacts resources.
  • Apply quality measures to improve reimbursement. 

This session will explore 5 key trends impacting Ambulatory Surgery Centers in 2025 and beyond. Prepare your team and brace for what’s to come so you can optimize performance at your ASC. 


Eligible for 1 Contact Hour and 1 AEU credit.

*Attendees must attend the full hour and complete the evaluation.

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Operations, Data Analytics, Finance, Breakout Sessions
Jacqueline Gardocki, MBA, MSN, BSN, CNOR, CASC, Nurse Manager Luckow Pavilion Same Day Services & Pain Management, The Valley Hospital
DeAnna Kearney, BSN, RN, CAPA, Manager of Endoscopy, The Valley Hospital

Learning Objectives:

  • Justify the ROI to increase FTEs as patient volume is climbing.
  • Calculate the cost-per-case and speak to the numbers.
  • Address pain points for staffing issues and develop incentive programs to increase retention.

How do you get buy-in from your leadership team when you need to request more FTEs? How do you present your proposal while maintaining engagement and retention of current staff? What leadership styles increase employee satisfaction to achieve higher productivity that will lead to improved financial performance? Attend this session to learn how to justify the ROI for more FTEs, calculate the cost per case and address pain points for staffing.


Eligible for 1 Contact Hour and 1 AEU credit.

*Attendees must attend the full hour and complete the evaluation.

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Operations, Performance Improvement, Data Analytics, Breakout Sessions
Katie Breudigam, Department Manager IV, OR Operations, Cleveland Clinic
Natalie Bright, MBA, MSN, RN, CNOR, Director, OR Operations Ohio Market, Cleveland Clinic

Learning Objectives:

  • Describe the impact of a centralized reporting structure to optimize efficiencies.
  • Discuss the process of standardizing workflows across multiple hospitals.
  • Consolidate surgical scheduling to optimize resource allocation and drive cost savings.

Historically the Surgical Scheduler’s role may have been viewed predominantly as a data entry role with little ability to impact operations. However, as single hospitals grew into larger healthcare systems, the Surgical Scheduler’s role is no longer transactional and must be looked at in a new way. Hear from one team about their journey to work with local leaders at 18 different hospitals and Ambulatory Surgery Centers to create one unified team. Discover how they utilized their surgical scheduling team to backfill more than 35,000 hours and increase surgical volume by more than 15,000 cases in 2 years. Learn how this team used data analytics to drive decisions and improve the accuracy of their cases by more than 20% of the time. 


Eligible for 1 Contact Hour.

*Attendees must attend the full hour and complete the evaluation.

Take-home tool: Surgical PDF template and step-by-step guide for successful standardization of surgical scheduling.

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Operations, Strategy, Breakout Sessions
Collin Pick, MSN, CRNA, ARNP, CMPE, Chief of Anesthesia, Physician Partners of America

Learning Objectives:

  • Engage anesthesia staff to operate efficiently. 
  • Optimize surgical scheduling to align staff resources. 
  • Differentiate costs associated with various anesthesia options in regards to patient care and outcomes.

Engagement of anesthesia staff is critical for ASCs due to the shortage of anesthesia providers. Attend this session to learn how ASCs can work with providers to schedule anesthesia staff resources. In addition, this session will address the cost of medications and price transparency on different anesthesia choices.


Eligible for 1 Contact Hour and 1 AEU credit.

*Attendees must attend the full hour and complete the evaluation.

5:15 pm - 5:45 pm
Spotlight Sessions

Stay tuned for exciting updates about our new Spotlight Sessions - 30 minutes of immersive content to energize and prepare you for the week ahead!

5:15 pm - 5:45 pm
Spotlight Sessions

Stay tuned for exciting updates about our new Spotlight Sessions - 30 minutes of immersive content to energize and prepare you for the week ahead!

5:45 pm - 7:15 pm

Tuesday, February 11

6:30 am - 6:00 pm
Registration
Sponsored by:
   
8:30 am - 9:30 am
9:30 am - 10:30 am
Jason Goodwin, MPH, MSN, BSN, President, Innovative Cultures Consulting

Learning Objectives:

  • Describe new ways to effectively manage your preference cards.
  • Discover the cost benefit analysis of simplifying your preference card system.
  • Develop tools to effectively standardization your preference cards.

The process of effectively managing your surgeon preference cards may feel like a never-ending chore. Attend this session to discover innovative tools that can help you level-up your preference cards and operate at peak performance.


Eligible for 1 Contact Hour.

*Attendees must attend the full hour and complete the evaluation.

9:30 am - 10:30 am
Deb Yoder, MHA, BSN, RN, CNOR, CASC, Vice President Facility Development, Compass Surgery Partners

Learning Objectives:

  • Explore complex cases as a new service line option to add in your facility.
  • Develop a plan to introduce a profitable service line.
  • Determine the ROI based on your surgeon and patient population.  

This session will dive into strategies for evaluating the most profitable service lines to expand or introduce in your ASC. Discover key trends in orthopedics and neurology and understand why these specialized service lines can offer significant returns on investment for your ASC.


Eligible for 1 Contact Hour and 1 AEU credit.

*Attendees must attend the full hour and complete the evaluation.

9:30 am - 10:30 am
Strategy, Data Analytics, Breakout Sessions
Trevor Adkins, MBA, BSN, RN, CNOR, Director of Surgical Services, Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System
Allison Ng, MSN, RN-BC, NEA-BC, Director, Perioperative Scheduling and Block Management, New York Presbyterian Hospital

Learning Objectives:

  • Transform the block management process by enabling capacity management tools.
  • Improve data literacy and engagement with surgeons.
  • Discover key metrics you should be monitoring to improve performance.

This session provides foundational concepts for using EHRs to monitor performance. Hear 2 unique case studies from different hospitals using different EHR systems. Learn how they extract data, monitor performance, speak to the numbers and transform their block management process. 


Eligible for 1 Contact Hour.

*Attendees must attend the full hour and complete the evaluation.

10:45 am - 11:45 am
I. Naya Kehayes, MPH, Principal, ECG Management Consultants

 Learning Objectives:

  • Apply best practices for negotiating managed care contracts.
  • Analyze the existing payor mix and identify opportunities for strategic contract management.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with payors.

Operating expenses continue to rise with very little increase in reimbursement rates. Attend this session to discuss best practices in negotiating managed care contracts and other payor contracts in the ambulatory setting.


Eligible for 1 Contact Hour and 1 AEU credit.

*Attendees must attend the full hour and complete the evaluation.

10:45 am - 11:45 am
Performance Improvement, Supply Management, Breakout Sessions
Jasmine Hampton-Nicholson MSN, RN,CNOR, Vice President of Perioperative Services, Temple University Health System

Learning Objectives:

  • Evaluate the use of supplies and product performance.
  • Research product requests and evaluate the alternatives.
  • Implement product approval systems and explain why they are important.

Value analysis teams can improve efficiencies and costs by assessing the impact of new products on existing practices and workflows. This session will showcase best practices for valuing the use of supplies by conducting thorough research and evaluating product approval systems. Learn how to leverage value analysis teams to optimize performance. 


Eligible for 1 Contact Hour.

*Attendees must attend the full hour and complete the evaluation.

10:45 am - 11:45 am
Marla Roberts, MHA, BSE/E, RN, LNC, CJCP, HACP-CMS|IP, CEO, Periop Accreditation Readiness, LLC

 Learning Objectives:

  • Implement quality tracking to measure performance.
  • Apply quality measures to improve patient outcomes.
  • Avoid costly errors and improve reimbursement.  

Unplanned returns to the OR can be a costly mistake. Any sentinel event means you won’t get reimbursed. The quality of care you provide in your OR and prioritizing patient safety will ensure you receive maximize reimbursement. Attend this session to understand the implications of a sentinel event and why quality measures are important to the financial health of the organization.


Eligible for 1 Contact Hour and 1 AEU credit.

*Attendees must attend the full hour and complete the evaluation.

12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Sponsored by:
   
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Stephanie Casanova, MBA, Director, Procedural Business Services, Massachusetts General Hospital
Steve Spring, BA, Executive Director Finance, Massachusetts General Hospital

Learning Objectives:

  • Describe methods for interpreting expenditures and variance drivers.
  • Establish a steady reporting system to drive continuous improvement.
  • Discover strategies for cross-functional partnerships and team communication.

In a time where external forces shape our finances as much as our surgical case mix, OR Business Managers must adeptly communicate the fiscal health of their departments to diverse audiences—from C-suite executives and board members to front-line staff. In this presentation, we explore strategies to distill complex financial data into actionable insights to improve operational excellence. 

Additionally, this session will dive into strategies to enhance your own understanding of clinical operations, including cross-functional partnerships and the use of AI enabled tools.


Eligible for 1 Contact Hour and 1 AEU credit.

*Attendees must attend the full hour and complete the evaluation.

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Regulatory, Breakout Sessions
Gail Avigne, MSN, BA, RN, Senior Consultant, Strategic Consulting, Press Ganey Associates LLC

Learning Objectives:

  • Recite OAS CAHPS survey requirements.
  • Administer the OAS CAHPS survey effectively, including methods for data collection.
  • Interpret survey results to identify areas for quality improvement.

Starting in 2025, Medicare-certified Ambulatory Surgery Centers will be required to participate in the Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (OAS CAHPS) Survey to comply with the ASC Quality Reporting Program. This session will explore the requirements to prepare ASC Administrators for compliance so they do not face reduced Medicare reimbursement rates in the future.  


Eligible for 1 Contact Hour and 1 AEU credit.

*Attendees must attend the full hour and complete the evaluation.

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Moustafa Bleik, Manager, OR Scheduling and Data Management, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center
Fadi Fares, Manager, Day Surgery Unit and Post-Anesthesia Care Unit, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center

Learning Objectives:

  • Use data to assess risk and prevent admission delays.
  • Optimize pre-admission processes to improve the patient journey. 
  • Streamline scheduling to improve financial performance.

Same-day admission delays present significant challenges, disrupting perioperative efficiency, impacting the patient journey, and negatively affecting the overall patient experience. Data and case studies highlight how these delays contribute to inefficiencies across the perioperative spectrum, leading to extended wait times and reduced operational flow. To address these issues, strategies such as optimizing pre-admission processes, refining admission day protocols, and enhancing OR coordination are essential. Attend this session to learn the technology tools available to assess risk, minimize admission delays, optimize efficiencies and improve financial performance.


Eligible for 1 Contact Hour.

*Attendees must attend the full hour and complete the evaluation.

3:15 pm - 4:15 pm
Supply Management, Strategy, Regulatory, General Session
Michael Schiller, CMRP, Executive Director, Association for Health Care Resources & Materials Management

One of the largest expenses to the OR is the cost of equipment and supplies. How can you instill lean practices while ensuring you have what you need? This session is a must-attend for OR Business Managers looking for ways to improve their inventory practices and the bottom line. 


Topics include:

  1. Just-in-Time inventory: How have hospitals adjusted to keeping inventory levels at par in a post-Covid world? What are the recommendations for business leaders to right-size their inventory without going too lean?
  2. Breaking supply contracts: What should business leaders do if they need to break their supply contract? How can they partner with vendors and negotiate better contract terms?
  3. Human trafficking: What are the recommendations for business leaders if they discover there is human trafficking in their supply chain? Do they keep the supplies, dispose of them, what steps should they take?
  4. Labor constraints: What are the risks to supply chain disruptions from labor disputes and geopolitical constraints?
  5. Inflation: As inflation continues to rise, how should business leaders lock-in future supply contracts? What happens when inflation cools?

Eligible for 1 Contact Hour.

*Attendees must attend the full hour and complete the evaluation.

Kim Greene Hiller, Founder and Owner, The Laughing Academy

As a Business Manager in perioperative services, your team’s engagement is crucial for driving financial success. To achieve this, you must foster trust, inspire innovative thinking, and enhance collaboration. This dynamic, interactive session leverages improvisation techniques to strengthen relationships, solve problems, adapt to change, and create efficient processes. Join us for an exhilarating experience where you’ll learn to adapt your leadership style through the fun and impactful art of improv!


By attending this session, you will be able to:

  1. Improve communication skills, adaptability, and flexibility.
  2. Enhance team collaboration, creativity, and innovation.
  3. Develop and strengthen quick-thinking, active listening, and decision-making skills.
  4. Build trust within your team fostering a positive team culture.
  5. Strengthen emotional intelligence, presence and confidence.
5:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Join us for a spectacular 3-hour cruise on the Gulf to soak up the sunset and connect with peers! 


Indulge in a delightful dinner spread and enjoy a selection of drinks and entertainment while you cruise. Don’t miss out on this perfect blend of networking and relaxation while you mingle with other business leaders and enjoy the ocean views.


*Separate fee applies.

Wednesday, February 12

7:00 am - 2:00 pm
Registration
7:15 am - 8:30 am
Sponsored by:
   
8:30 am - 9:30 am
9:30 am - 10:30 am
Bob Winandy, MSN, MBA, RN, Chief Executive Officer, Brightside Surgical

The OR Business Management Program Committee will facilitate Peer-to-Peer Roundtables to discuss hot topics impacting OR Business Managers. Bring your ideas on a topic you know well and participate in the discussion. Be prepared to share and learn from one another. Network with your peers and walk away with new ideas and actionable strategies.  


This Peer-to-Peer Roundtable will focus on Cost Reduction Strategies in an ASC. ASCs are looking for ways to cut costs without compromising care. Attend this roundtable to share best practices for cost reduction and strategies for competing in today’s challenging environment.


Eligible for 1 AEU credit.

*Attendees must attend the full hour and complete the evaluation.

9:30 am - 10:30 am
Operations, Supply Management, Peer-to-Peer Roundtable
Hazel Boyd, MBA, Operations Manager - Transforming Tomorrow, Boston Children's Hospital
Bethany Daily, MHA, BA, Executive Director, Perioperative Services and Healthcare Systems Engineering, Massachusetts General Hospital

The OR Business Management Program Committee will facilitate Peer-to-Peer Roundtables to discuss hot topics impacting OR Business Managers. Bring your ideas on a topic you know well and participate in the discussion. Be prepared to share and learn from one another. Network with your peers and walk away with new ideas and actionable strategies.  


This Peer-to-Peer Roundtable will focus on the Onboarding Process for Surgeons. OR Business Leaders should be involved in the onboarding process to ensure new surgeons are aware of equipment available and any contracts that have commitment sourcing applied to them. Attend this roundtable to share hurdles you’ve overcome and the progress you’ve made with onboarding new surgeons.

9:30 am - 10:30 am
Operations, Peer-to-Peer Roundtable
Matt Ruby, MHA, Business Operations Director, Surgical Services, Northwestern Medicine

The OR Business Management Program Committee will facilitate Peer-to-Peer Roundtables to discuss hot topics impacting OR Business Managers. Bring your ideas on a topic you know well and participate in the discussion. Be prepared to share and learn from one another. Network with your peers and walk away with new ideas and actionable strategies.  


This Peer-to-Peer Roundtable will focus on Operational Efficiencies. OR Business Managers are continuously looking for ways to improve operational efficiencies. Attend this roundtable to share how you’ve improved your OR’s performance. Topics for discussion include: First Case On-Time Starts, block scheduling, advanced analytics, dashboards and standardization.

10:45 am - 11:45 am
12:45 pm - 1:15 pm
1:15 pm - 1:30 pm