3. Waste not,
want not
Little things add up to
big things. I might go
a little overboard at
times, but when I see
a suture get opened
but not used, it really
bugs me. Sutures can
be $3 to $8 apiece,
after all. If it happens
on a regular basis,
well, you do the math.
But where I really
draw the line is with
what I consider high-
cost items — anything
$20 and above. That's
not an insignificant
cost. If you waste 10
20-dollar items a day,
you could hire anoth-
er nursing assistant
with that kind of
money — someone
who could actually
help your bottom line.
Naturally, there are
hard costs that go
with every case, but if
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