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E N D O
S E R V I C E S
to either look at
what's going on in
Saratoga Schenectady Endoscopy Center
reprocessing or
consider buying
more scopes.
"I can probably
count twice the
STAFFING PEARL Assign a PACU nurse to each procedure
room. GI docs like knowing which beds and nurses are
assigned to their patients.
number of times a
doctor has been at
my door saying that
he's waiting for a scope," says Ms. Hunt. Her center uses 3 high-level
disinfection automated reprocessors and doesn't hesitate to buy more
scopes when they're needed.
An additional factor in the equation for operating an efficient
endoscopy unit is having the equipment and supplies necessary to
perform the scheduled procedures readily on hand, says Mr. Collins.
"The unit must have the appropriate number of endoscopes in inventory to perform the day's procedures without causing procedural
delays."
To minimize procedure times — scope-in to scope-out — place
scopes outside each procedure room for the first 4 to 5 cases, says
Frank J. Chapman, MBA, chief operating officer of Asheville
Gastroenterology Associates in Asheville, N.C.
It's also helpful if every endo room is designed exactly the same so
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O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | F E B R U A R Y 2013
