to address it?
LV: I'm a nurse by trade and administrator by training. I don't want to
play the peer to the providers — I want their peer to do that. Dr.
Campbell handles that role beautifully. He manages situations and holds
his team accountable to general good practices or specific policies we
have in place. He discusses issues or changes we want implemented
with his team and comes back to me with further insights that we con-
sider when making decisions about how we'll move forward. It keeps
the relationship between the surgical staff and anesthesia civil and pro-
ductive.
Q: How do you ensure providers will thrive when faced with the unique
challenges of administering anesthesia in an ambulatory setting?
LV: Identify which providers like to work in outpatient ORs — who get
ambulatory anesthesia — and have them scheduled to work at the
facility. We rarely have providers who grouse the whole day. If they do,
they're not accustomed to the fast pace that keeps them shuttling
between rooms and pre- and post-op areas instead of having longer
turnovers that allow them time in the lounge, like they're used to doing
at the local hospital.
FC: Having the right group of providers is important. We have more than
40 CRNAs and anesthesiologists on staff, and not everyone is well-suited
for the ambulatory setting. We try to keep those providers at other facili-
ties where their approach is better suited. If you ask for that, it's usually
something most anesthesia groups will consider as they develop staffing
schemes.
LV: Dr. Campbell developed a survey for surgeons so they could let us
know which providers perform well and which could use more work in
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