SEPTEMBER COVER STORY
Lean and Patient Safety
Experts discuss how Lean principles and tools help teams identify waste and improve processes and how these processes are perfect for application in the perioperative setting.
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
Stryker Launches New Tendon Fixation Device System
Stryker’s Trauma & Extremities division has launched its Citrelock Tendon Fixation Device System. The new system provides surgeons a differentiated design via a tendon thread featuring a resorbable technology, known as Citregen, that has unique chemical and...
ACS Advocacy Efforts for Suicide Awareness Underway
Through its Surgeon Well-Being program, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) is working to build awareness about suicide during September, which is National Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month. During September, ACS is releasing several communications for its...
Intermountain Healthcare Postpones Non-Urgent Surgeries and Procedures
Intermountain Healthcare is postponing all non-urgent surgeries and procedures requiring a hospital admission in its trauma and community hospitals, starting September 15, to support ICUs and acute care units and staffing needs.
Encompass Group LLC Awarded Contract with Vizient
Encompass Group LLC has been awarded a contract with Vizient to supply health care apparel uniforms to Vizient members. Effective August 15, 2021, Vizient members can order Encompass Healthcare Apparel directly from Encompass or through their authorized distributor,...
Session Explores Device Processing Myths
The recent OR Today webinar “Bad Answers to Good Questions - Busting Myths in Device Processing” was sponsored by Healthmark. It was eligible for 1 CE credit. OR Today has been approved and is licensed to be a Continuing Education Provider with the California Board of...
SPOTLIGHT
Spotlight On: David Walz
Growing up on a hog farm in Minnesota, David Walz remembers getting a hands-on education caring for living things early in life. Although it’s not a straight line from there to the human health care field, the execution of such duties “aligns with many of the things we have to do as nurses,” Walz said.
Spotlight On: Amanda Heitman
As a young child growing up on a farm in Kansas, Amanda Heitman remembers visits to her grandfather, an osteopath who worked from his home, as influential in her eventual career in nursing.
Spotlight On: Leticia Ramirez
As a nursing leader, Ramirez said she is motivated to make her institution a great place to work, making sure staff are motivated to care for their patients, themselves and to help the center thrive.
Spotlight On: Paula Axtell, RN, BSN, CNOR, Interim Senior Director of Perioperative Services with St. Mary Medical Center of Long Beach, California
Although motherhood awakened the feelings of caregiving that first led Paula Axtell to consider pursuing a career in nursing, it was confidence in her academic abilities that inspired her to believe she could be successful at the job.
Spotlight On: Ora Wood, ADN, BSN, MSHA
During her first assignment out of nursing school in 1976, Ora Wood described feeling that she was struggling with “the discrepancy between knowing what I was taught was the right thing to do and what was being practiced.”
PRODUCT SHOWROOM
Reports: Patient Positioning Market Expands
Improvements in prescription and nursing medical care innovation have led to increased demand for patient positioning accessories across regions.
Hillrom Yellofins Apex Stirrups
The Yellofins Stirrups line from Hillrom represent enhanced safety, with a dual-rod design that prevents medial leg drop, and automatic position-locking technology to safely position the patient while protecting both the patient and the surgical team. In addition,...
AliMed AliBlue Gel Positioners
AliBlue Gel Positioners are a cost-effective reusable gel positioner for all surgical positioning needs. AliBlue Gel Positioners are made from 100% viscoelastic gel, are impervious to fluids and easy to clean.
SchureMed Schure Loc XPS
SchureMed’s Schure Loc XPS extremity positioning system provides rigid fixation as well as an unlimited intraoperative range of motion for shoulder replacement, arthroscopy and rotator cuff surgeries. The Schure Loc XPS attaches to any surgical table by hooking the...
Encompass Group Patient Positioners
Encompass Group helps take the pressure off so that professionals can focus on care. Its portfolio of positioners and overlays assists the patient care team with a variety of sizes and designs that provide support, stability and positioning options to sensitive areas...
Action Products Inc. OR Table Pad
The Action brand offers head-to-toe pressure injury protection. It has designed a variety of support surface options to fit a facility’s individual needs. Professionals can choose what balance of clinical effectiveness and cost efficiency is right for them. The...
D.A. Surgical TrenGuard Trendelenburg Patient Restraint
Sliding in Trendelenburg can cause post-operative pain or even serious injury. Even the smallest unintended movement can be a big problem in robotic-assisted surgery. The TrenGuard “Speed Bump” bolster is proven to prevent patient sliding in steep Trendelenburg,...
OUT OF THE OR
Contest – September 2021
Study Shows Children Recycle Brain Regions When Acquiring New Skills
Scientists studied the brain activity of school-aged children during development and found that regions that activated upon seeing limbs (hands, legs, etc.) subsequently activated upon seeing faces or words when the children grew older. The research, by scientists at...
Does Water Need an Upgrade?
We all know we need water to live, but is “upgrading” your water worth it? Let’s cut through some of the nonsense and look at a few water upgrades that are worth your time and money.
Fast, Flavorful Meals When You’re Short on Time
Quality meals don’t have to drain hours from your day; satisfying taste is possible in just minutes when you have a few strategies that can help make meal prep easier and the results more enjoyable.
Employees Want More Feedback, Fewer Meetings
In recent months I’ve used this space to talk about the value of empathy, because lack of empathy from managers is one of the main reasons people leave their jobs. But in addition to empathy, what else helps people stay and be more productive?
Taking Care of Your Feet at Every Stage of Life
By Miguel J. Ortiz From the time we start crawling to our very first steps our body and brain are working overtime to create neurological pathways that will ultimately be the building blocks of movement. We commonly know this as “muscle memory.” The more we practice...
Study: Short Breaks May Help Brains Learn New Skills
In a study of healthy volunteers, National Institutes of Health researchers have mapped out the brain activity that flows when we learn a new skill, such as playing a new song on the piano, and discovered why taking short breaks from practice is a key to learning.
It Starts With A Plan
The biggest hurdle to better eating is often just having a plan. The what to make for dinner problem is real. Our lives are busy and convenience food is just so …. well, convenient.
How To Build Trust
Trust is a unique factor in relationships. It often takes a long time to create trust, but it can be lost in mere seconds.
