S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 5
42 COVER STORY
2019 OR Excellence Awards
Meet the Year's Top Performers in Surgical Care
44 Patient Safety
Solving Problems That Were Large in Scope
Flexible endoscopes were a potential patient
safety issue at Baystate Medical Center. Now?
Not so much.
52 Pain Control
A Big-Picture Approach to Pain Management
Lakeside Surgery Center has responded to the
nationwide opioid crisis by controlling post-op
discomfort with limited use of the painkillers.
59 Patient Satisfaction
Care Through the Patients' Eyes
Staff at Lakeland Surgical & Diagnostic Center
see satisfaction surveys as a golden opportunity
to bolster every aspect of patient care.
66 Financial Management
Taming a Tangled Suture Inventory
Bringing order to a disorderly suture supply
— on a single suture cart in a single location.
70 Employee Safety
Banding Together to Breathe Easier
Nurses at Baptist Hospital took the lead in
eliminating surgical smoke from the ORs.
79 Infection Prevention
Stepping Up to Prevent SSIs
Staff at Saint Francis Health System has
worked hard to significantly lower infection risks
— and they're not done yet.
85 Environmental Stewardship
Trash to Treasure:
Going Green for the Greater Good
Monongahela Valley Hospital reduces OR waste
to help the environment — and the less fortunate.
90 12 Tips for Instrument Care and Cleaning
If you take care of your instruments,
they'll take care of you.
Mike Morsch | Contributing Editor
Contents
September 2019 • Vol. XX, No. 9
Features
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