The Executive View: Trials and Tribulations of a Surgical Scrub Tech In the fast-paced and high-stakes environment of the operating room, surgical scrub technicians play a crucial role in ensuring the success of surgical procedures. From an executive perspective, understanding the trials and tribulations faced by these professionals is essential for fostering a supportive and…
Thoughts Before Promoting Managers While scrolling through LinkedIn, I saw a quote: “When you promote the wrong person, you begin to lose your best people.” After working in Healthcare for over 25 years, this is a common practice, and I have witnessed it many times. Promoting the wrong person can have far-reaching consequences, especially when…
Optimizing the Overlooked: The SPD Revolution What will it take to get the C-suite to pay attention to the one department that is most often overlooked, yet has a profound impact on revenue, surgical throughput, quality, surgeon and nurse satisfaction, and outcomes? For decades, hospitals have relied on the same playbook to cut expenses. But…
Addressing Healthcare’s Labor Crisis: Retention Strategies The Aftermath of the Contingent Labor Crisis in Healthcare The contingent labor crisis in healthcare may be easing, but its aftermath has brought new challenges for healthcare providers. During the pandemic, hospitals and health systems relied heavily on contingent workers, such as travel nurses, to address acute staffing…
SPD Scorecards: The Hidden Key to Hospital Efficiency and Revenue When Did You Last Review Your SPD KPIs and Scorecard? In the healthcare industry, delivering high-quality patient care, ensuring operational efficiency, and maintaining financial stability are paramount. Hospitals face numerous challenges, including regulatory compliance, resource allocation, and patient satisfaction. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are essential…
Ensuring Excellence in Sterile Processing: From the Quality Perspective Quality Directors recognize that the meticulous processing of surgical instruments and devices in the SPD is crucial for preventing surgical site infections (SSIs) and cross-contamination, making it the backbone of patient safety. In this edition of the Intel for Healthcare Leaders newsletter, we explore the…
Addressing Workforce Challenges in Healthcare: The Critical Role of Leadership Hospital CEOs recently ranked workforce challenges as their top concern, surpassing financial issues for the second consecutive year. This shift underscores the urgent need for effective leadership and operational excellence in critical areas throughout every department. Leadership: The Linchpin of Workforce Stability Appropriate interim and…
“The Elephant in the Room” for Healthcare Recruitment and Retention: Today’s Workforce Spans Five Generations It is almost impossible to avoid the amount of research, articles, and “airtime” spent on addressing employee turnover and retention. Workforce stabilization remains a top priority for hospitals, and health systems are developing initiatives to maintain a consistent, reliable,…
Every day, numerous articles explore how hospitals and health systems are seeking new revenue streams and identifying areas for cost reduction. However, one critical area that often goes unmentioned is the Sterile Processing Department (SPD). SPD is typically viewed as an operational cost center rather than a revenue generator, despite its crucial role in supporting…
Optimizing Sterile Processing: Revenue Generation & Cost Reduction Strategic optimization of Sterile Processing Departments (SPDs) can contribute to revenue generation, reduce cost, and ensure quality. Let’s delve into the key strategies and insights: The Common Challenge: Many SPDs nationwide struggle to recruit, train, and retain Sterile Processing Technicians, resulting in understaffed departments with low-level expertise….
In our healthcare facilities, the telephone is a life-saving instrument. It is the primary means of communication between the nurses in procedural areas and the technicians in SPD.