T
here's a lot riding on turning over operating rooms quickly
between cases. It ensures high-volume surgeons start their sur-
geries on time, patients pass through pre-op without delay and
the surgical schedule remains packed with profitable proce-
dures. Banner Baywood Medical Center in Mesa, Ariz., has
become a model of efficiency since 2016, when the orthopedic service line
established a new performance indicator: Surgical staff had to lower their
average turnover times from 28 minutes to 22 minutes. Achieving that goal
demanded new thinking, a bit of creativity and plenty of teamwork.
3 0 • 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 • D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0
Rapid Room Resets
A medical center's ability to slash six minutes off
OR turnover times presents a blueprint for success.
Maria Marabito
ALL HANDS ON DECK Every member of the
surgical team pitches in to make sure rooms
are cleaned and reset as quickly as possible.
