4 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J A n U A R Y 2 0 1 8
to go back to the OR full time. "Working in surgery gives me a
sense of purpose," she says. "We're serving patients, and I don't
think I'd feel the same satisfaction if I were selling products."
— Daniel Cook
Ms. Williams didn't sign up for a desk job and was fully aware of the
scheduling demands, the crushing workload and the multiple hats
she'd have to wear. She's not expected to work 12 hours a day, but
that's often what it takes to keep her head above water.
"I'm so busy doing other things — taking constant phone calls and
going to the OR to troubleshoot issues — that I can't begin to tackle
my job's responsibilities until the surgical schedule starts to slow
down," she says. "I often stay late just so I can get my own work
done."
Ms. Williams is a salaried employee, so if she comes in on a
weekend to catch up, her paycheck remains the same. She's
learned an incredible amount about risk management, infection
prevention and drug utilization, and has developed excellent work-
ing relationships with the center's surgeons.
"I love going to work and feel like I've partnered with our OR man-
ager to shape the surgical team into who we want them to be," she
says.
Earn what you're worth
The survey suggests surgical leaders feel underpaid and perhaps
underappreciated for the amount of work they do and the numbers
they crunch to save their facilities money. Only 12% of ASC respon-
dents and 9% of hospital respondents are extremely satisfied with
what they earn with relation to the demands of their position and the