Author Archives: Kendal Gapinski

With 40% of women and 25% of men suffering from varicose veins, spider veins or venous insufficiency, and new treatments that are less painful and invasive, now might be a good time to add venous disease treatments to your case mix. In addition to being in demand, these treatments are known for their high reimbursement, quick turnover and low risk of complications.

The coughing. The wheezing. Watery eyes and a runny nose. Those are just a few of the ailments that many surgical facility leaders describe when you ask how they felt after being exposed to surgical smoke.

Worried about retirement? You’re not alone. Our 2014 annual salary survey found that despite a recovering economy, many are still feeling the effects of the recession — and it’s especially hard on retirement-aged Baby Boomers who don’t feel they’ve saved enough along the way to comfortably call it a career, and who feel forced to work into their golden years.

You don’t want your OR idling for longer than it has to, but a quick room turnover shouldn’t come at the price of patient and staff safety. Outpatient Surgery surveyed 68 facility managers about their turnover practices. While half do it fast — 50% of respondents can ready a room for the next case in less than 15 minutes — not all do it as they should. Are you cutting the same corners as some of our survey respondents?

They don’t substitute for good technique, but sharps safety products can lend a big hand in preventing injuries to your staff. Luckily, there are plenty of devices to prevent some of the most common OR injuries — suture sticks, needle nicks, scalpel slices — and ways to get staff on board.

If your patients are developing pressure ulcers after surgery, read on for several strategies sure to cut your skin injury rate. A few years ago, when my hospital noticed an unacceptably high number of our patients were developing skin injuries 72 or so hours after surgery, we formed a Perioperative Services Skin Wellness Committee, which I chaired. Based on our experience, here are 7 things you can do to prevent pressure ulcers.

In surgical facilities across the country, doctors and nurses are running drills to practice how to don and doff what they refer to as the Ebola spacesuit: double gloves (the first pair taped around the wrist), gowns impervious to liquid and viral penetration, booties, full face shields and surgical hoods that tuck neatly into the gowns. These dress rehearsals are in preparation for a horror show you pray the curtain never rises on: an infected patient showing up at your registration desk.

Smartphones and tablets are already widespread in the OR, but experts say there are more ways to use them than just as modern-day beepers. We asked around and found the 7 coolest ways to use mobile devices in your facility.