Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
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and helps you make the case for adjusting the surgi- cal schedule to improve overall efficiencies. You couldn't make your case nearly as well if you were still scheduling your cases with a written ledger. There's no substitute for being able to present hard data derived from scheduling software to ensure case times are accurate, and staffing and supply resources are properly allocated. Costly components Implants are a big-ticket item. You should always review how much your facility will earn for surger- ies involving implants and know exactly how much implants cost to make sure the procedures are cost effective before they're added to your schedule. Negotiating implant carve outs with insurers will help maximize the profits of costly procedures. implant manufacturers to stay on top of which implants, especially those used in orthopedic cases, are avail- able and how much they cost. That knowledge puts you in good position to share the true cost of expensive implants with surgeons and ask if they could use a less expensive option that is every bit as effective. Finding out if a more affordable implant option is available before meeting with surgeons is key to mak- ing this strategy work. Some surgeons simply aren't aware of how much their implants cost, the other ancillary supplies required to support the implant or the facility reimbursement. Liquid income We used to collect fluid waste in lined canisters, added chemicals to solidify the contents and then dropped the lin- ers in bins of red bag waste. The addi- tional weight of the solidified liquid added to the expense of regulated waste disposal, which is often calcu- lated by the pound, so we switched to mobile collection systems that wheel into each OR. Once the procedure is completed, staff push the units to a docking station, which automatically suctions the contents into the sewer system. In-wall disposal units that automatically flush individual fluid collection canisters are also available and take up less space. Disposable, absorbent floor mats are a cost-effec- tive option for keeping OR floors dry, particularly during orthopedic procedures in which surgeons must stand in a place that mobile collection systems can't reach. The mats also minimize slip-and-fall risks. You'll also devote less staff time to cleaning up fluid from OR floors, a factor that could allow you to fill your schedule with more revenue-produc- ing cases. Picking and choosing All-in-one supply kits for specific types of surgeries It's best to be in consistent communication with 5 8 • O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0 FLUID WASTE Collection systems can help prevent slips and falls and potential infections, which are costly to treat and bring expensive workers comp claims with them.