We will have 4 poster presentations this year at OR Business Management Conference.
Improving First Case Starts: Making Money by Laying Down the Hammer
For years, our facility grappled with a chronic issue of on-time starts, particularly with our first cases. The percentage of cases entering our operating rooms at their scheduled start time stagnated in the low 20s, persisting unchanged for years. However, a simple yet pivotal change – an email – transformed this situation into a million-dollar solution by year-end.
In January 2021, under the leadership of a new surgical services chairman, a drive for substantial improvements was initiated. The focus landed on our first case start interventions, identified through thorough data presentation. Analysis revealed that the primary bottleneck resided not in patient readiness, supplies, or nursing, but with our surgeons. This revelation, while not a complete surprise, diverged from previous approaches that prioritized eliminating other delay causes before addressing surgeon timeliness. The chairman opted for a data-driven strategy, collaboratively creating an algorithm engaging 30 days prior to a patient’s procedure, culminating in the patient’s arrival in the OR. A mentality shift akin to a rocket launch infused our approach, resulting in the establishment of “Go/No-Go” protocols centered on our first cases. Securing approval from section chiefs, our plan was set in motion – and then the decisive moment arrived.
Education preceded enforcement. To ensure compliance, transparency became our tool. We devised an automated email system directly extracting data from our repository, furnishing each physician with a monthly report card. This report outlined their Volume, On-Time Start Percentage, and the extent to which their actions contributed to late cases. The competition fostered by this monthly performance snapshot ignited a desire to improve. The outcome was remarkable – on-time starts doubled, reaching a goal we hadn’t reached in over half a decade.
By confronting the core issue, engaging stakeholders collaboratively, and leveraging transparent data, our institution turned a persistent problem into a success story, demonstrating the transformative power of targeted interventions and data-driven initiatives in enhancing operational efficiency and financial outcomes.
Presenter: Jillian Carratala, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC, Director of Nursing, Department of Surgery, Overlook Medical Center
Ensuring Inclusion with 508 Compliance
The significance of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 regarding federal organizations fosters inclusiveness among individuals with disabilities. According to The United States Access Board (n.d.), amendments strengthened requirements for access to electronic and information technology in the Federal sector to also include in, developing, maintaining standards for electronic information, technology and medical diagnostic equipment under section 508.
The use of Microsoft Word application permits creating complex, and simple documents that may contain images later exported to a Portable Document Format (PDF) derived from a styles template for creation of an electronic publication. Purposeful resolute in eliminating barriers among anyone with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments preserves proper accessible measures to online resources.
A significant challenge presented uncertainty surrounding 508 compliancy, which led to increased time spent for document preparation and approval of compliance. Bridging the divide for non-accessible and accessible documents involved qualitative research, with data analysis detecting potential causes and process improvement. Gaining resources internally and externally for familiarity of 508 Compliancy supports foundational knowledge, collaborating with others fosters strengthens inclusiveness in the digital landscape for those with disabilities. This poster will provide awareness to an untapped area that aligns with healthcare. The importance of public health websites serves further importance of those with disabilities can navigate, understand, and interact equally as those without limitations (Alajarmeh, 2021). Simple terms and steps will provide a basic overview for proactively taking steps to integrate accessibility for online purposes as 508 Compliance has a tangible impact in any professional space.
Presenter: Ignacia N. Joyner RN, MSN, BSN, CNOR, Program Analyst, Employee Services/TACVP/CAP, Office of Personnel Management
Creating a Perioperative Service Line
MedStar Health, a large Integrated Delivery Network (IDN) with 9 acute care facilities and 4 ASCs began its journey 24 months ago creating at Perioperative Service Line; carved out from the rest of the hospital services. Understanding that these departments are very niche and in a financially challenging atmosphere; we began looking at how we could duplicate best practices among our sites; giving the same high-quality patient experience, regardless of what site was visited. Through this service line, we have 4 pillars: Highly Satisfied Patients, Financial Health, PSL Operating Model, & Highly Engaged Surgeons and Associates. These 4 categories drive our roadmap and strategic initiatives which have led us to much success in areas such as staffing models, quality and safety, business operations, robotics, value analysis, IT integrations and SPD. We would love to share our success in standardizing large organizations and the benefits it has had in our Perioperative arena as well as the beneficial investments we have made. Thinking differently in 2023/2024 for Healthcare Organizations is imperative, especially in the surgery. MedStar Health is unique and paving the future for our Operating Rooms.
Presenter: Courtney Pearson, System Business Director- PeriOperative Services, MedStar Health
Optimizing Perioperative Services: A Transition to Centralized Value Analysis Committees in Large Healthcare Systems
This exploratory research delves into the transition from individual Value Analysis Committees (VACs) to a system-based VAC within large healthcare systems, focusing on the experience at MedStar Health. In the dynamic healthcare landscape, large healthcare systems comprised of multiple independent hospitals often grapple with optimizing resource allocation and decision-making across their diverse network of facilities.
The shift towards a centralized VAC model, as reflected in a selection of peer-reviewed journal articles, reveals significant merits. Centralization promotes standardization in product evaluations and decision-making, fostering greater consistency and efficiency in assessing the value of products and services. Moreover, it facilitates economies of scale through consolidated purchasing power, enabling cost savings, favorable contractual terms, and pricing negotiations with suppliers and vendors. The emphasis here extends beyond cost reduction to resource optimization.
MedStar Health’s journey towards a system-based VAC revolves around a few key metrics: reducing non-contract spending, improving the price index, reducing the new product request turnaround time, and improving clinical outcomes. These metrics serve as pivotal indicators of the success of this transition, ensuring a more streamlined, efficient, and cost-effective approach to delivering high-quality perioperative services within the healthcare system.
In summary, this exploratory research underscores the advantages of transitioning from individual VACs to a system-based VAC, emphasizing the critical role of standardization, cost optimization, and strategic metrics in achieving enhanced efficiency and cost-effectiveness in perioperative services delivery within large healthcare systems like MedStar Health.
Presenter: Blas Brown, MBA, Business Manager Perioperative Services, MedStar Health