The term “perioperative specialist” — someone who is able to supervise the entire surgical process — is increasingly used to describe the role of a properly focused anesthesia leader. According to Steven Gottlieb, MD, CEO of TeamHealth Anesthesia, a perioperative specialist is vital for three key reasons: to ensure the optimal coordination of care for patients, for optimal revenue generation and for cost control.
“With regard to hospitals [and ambulatory surgery centers], the operating room is a significant revenue generator, so it is important that someone manages the entire continuum of care to make sure surgeries start on time, operating rooms turn over quickly for the next case, patients are discharged in a timely manner and unnecessary costs are avoided,” says Dr. Gottlieb.
Anesthesiologists are well suited to the role of a perioperative specialist because they “function as a hub of the surgical wheel,” interacting with all the various clinicians involved in surgical cases, including the operating room nurse manager, the surgeon, the perioperative staff, as well as recovery room and post-operative staff. Anesthesiologists are most familiar with the many players and aspects of the surgical process, giving them a comprehensive platform from which to lead.
However, finding candidates to fulfill the perioperative specialist role may be difficult. Here Dr. Gottlieb discusses three steps for finding a perioperative specialist to increase the operational flow of your hospital or ASC’s surgical process.
1. Hiring perioperative specialists.
Hospitals and ASCs need a perioperative specialist who is a strong leader because of the high level of responsibility and the “impact importance” that comes with care coordination and optimization, says Dr. Gottlieb. To be successful, an anesthesiologist must be a “problem-solver” that is “proactive”, organized and “process-driven.” He or she should be able to “focus on the details,” but also understand “the big picture” as it pertains to all three customer groups — hospitals, surgeons and patients.
While leadership skills are important, a perioperative specialist should also have a high level of motivation and excellent communication skills. Dr. Gottlieb recommends an anesthesia leader be well trained, proactive as well as reactive, easily adaptive and focused. These attributes are important because of the breadth of responsibilities a perioperative specialist manages. They manage a patient’s entire perioperative care process and experience, and interface with all the providers who care for a patient during that patient’s stay.
“In today’s constantly changing healthcare environment, ASCs and hospitals need leaders who can adapt while always focusing on delivering service as well as quality,” says Dr. Gottlieb.
Finally, Dr. Gottlieb recommends hiring leaders that are passionate. “As in any profession, you want to hire someone who is really committed and loves what they do,” says Dr. Gottlieb.
2. Recruiting and training perioperative specialists.
To recruit the qualities mentioned above, administrators and executives should promote the factors of their hospital or ASC that attract motivated, highly communicative, adaptable, organized and critical-thinking individuals. “[Anesthesia leaders] want an organization that welcomes new ideas, encourages dialogues and will support them in their careers,” says Dr. Gottlieb. “You need to deliver training, professional development and opportunities for advancement within the organization.”
For instance, TeamHealth Anesthesia offers candidates specific training and development to become well-prepared perioperative specialists. The anesthesiologists are given the knowledge and resources to manage an entire surgical process and meet the needs of hospitals and ASCs. This happens through classroom training, proprietary online education and on-site training and support.
“We provide the tools required to succeed, and train our anesthesiologists to take ownership and be accountable for managing the entire perioperative process as perioperative specialists,” says Dr. Gottlieb.
With the correct training, anesthesia leaders can assure proper patient pre-assessment and optimization, on-time surgical case starts and surgical turnover improvements. According to Dr. Gottlieb, a perioperative specialist with the right training can increase OR efficiency, reduce length of stay and improve patient and surgeon satisfaction.
3. Developing leadership skills. Ongoing training and development programs are essential to shaping strong anesthesia leaders. According to Dr. Gottlieb, TeamHealth Anesthesia has made an investment in developing leaders a significant priority, and other organizations should do the same.
There are several different methods or tools for training anesthesia leaders. TeamHealth Anesthesia offers both clinically based programs, like a perioperative fellowship program, as well as classroom-style training and meetings that focus on specific aspects of becoming a strong leader. TeamHealth Anesthesia is a Studer Group partner, a private healthcare consulting group that offers clinical, operational and financial training. TeamHealth provides Studer training and holds regular leadership and educational summits for medical directors and physician leaders.
Dr. Gottlieb recommends combining a variety of methods to create a tailored leadership development program. “Some people are born with leadership skills, others develop these skills over time, but everyone can use some extra training and development to become better, more effective leaders,” says Dr. Gottlieb.
Beyond providing leadership development, it is critical that programs follow an organized framework that allows for the measurement and reporting of individual growth and achievement. “In addition to the mechanisms for teaching anesthesiologists how to lead and perform, every hospital and/or ASC needs to establish well-defined expectations and metrics for measuring success and a consistent means to provide ongoing feedback to leaders on their performance,” says Dr. Gottlieb.
In today’s healthcare environment, reducing costs while increasing efficiencies and quality of care are benchmarks that healthcare organizations need to meet. A great way to run an efficient operating room and surgical process is with a perioperative specialist, a well-trained and motivated anesthesia leader. n
“With regard to hospitals [and ambulatory surgery centers], the operating room is a significant revenue generator, so it is important that someone manages the entire continuum of care to make sure surgeries start on time, operating rooms turn over quickly for the next case, patients are discharged in a timely manner and unnecessary costs are avoided,” says Dr. Gottlieb.
Anesthesiologists are well suited to the role of a perioperative specialist because they “function as a hub of the surgical wheel,” interacting with all the various clinicians involved in surgical cases, including the operating room nurse manager, the surgeon, the perioperative staff, as well as recovery room and post-operative staff. Anesthesiologists are most familiar with the many players and aspects of the surgical process, giving them a comprehensive platform from which to lead.
However, finding candidates to fulfill the perioperative specialist role may be difficult. Here Dr. Gottlieb discusses three steps for finding a perioperative specialist to increase the operational flow of your hospital or ASC’s surgical process.
1. Hiring perioperative specialists.
Hospitals and ASCs need a perioperative specialist who is a strong leader because of the high level of responsibility and the “impact importance” that comes with care coordination and optimization, says Dr. Gottlieb. To be successful, an anesthesiologist must be a “problem-solver” that is “proactive”, organized and “process-driven.” He or she should be able to “focus on the details,” but also understand “the big picture” as it pertains to all three customer groups — hospitals, surgeons and patients.
While leadership skills are important, a perioperative specialist should also have a high level of motivation and excellent communication skills. Dr. Gottlieb recommends an anesthesia leader be well trained, proactive as well as reactive, easily adaptive and focused. These attributes are important because of the breadth of responsibilities a perioperative specialist manages. They manage a patient’s entire perioperative care process and experience, and interface with all the providers who care for a patient during that patient’s stay.
“In today’s constantly changing healthcare environment, ASCs and hospitals need leaders who can adapt while always focusing on delivering service as well as quality,” says Dr. Gottlieb.
Finally, Dr. Gottlieb recommends hiring leaders that are passionate. “As in any profession, you want to hire someone who is really committed and loves what they do,” says Dr. Gottlieb.
2. Recruiting and training perioperative specialists.
To recruit the qualities mentioned above, administrators and executives should promote the factors of their hospital or ASC that attract motivated, highly communicative, adaptable, organized and critical-thinking individuals. “[Anesthesia leaders] want an organization that welcomes new ideas, encourages dialogues and will support them in their careers,” says Dr. Gottlieb. “You need to deliver training, professional development and opportunities for advancement within the organization.”
For instance, TeamHealth Anesthesia offers candidates specific training and development to become well-prepared perioperative specialists. The anesthesiologists are given the knowledge and resources to manage an entire surgical process and meet the needs of hospitals and ASCs. This happens through classroom training, proprietary online education and on-site training and support.
“We provide the tools required to succeed, and train our anesthesiologists to take ownership and be accountable for managing the entire perioperative process as perioperative specialists,” says Dr. Gottlieb.
With the correct training, anesthesia leaders can assure proper patient pre-assessment and optimization, on-time surgical case starts and surgical turnover improvements. According to Dr. Gottlieb, a perioperative specialist with the right training can increase OR efficiency, reduce length of stay and improve patient and surgeon satisfaction.
3. Developing leadership skills. Ongoing training and development programs are essential to shaping strong anesthesia leaders. According to Dr. Gottlieb, TeamHealth Anesthesia has made an investment in developing leaders a significant priority, and other organizations should do the same.
There are several different methods or tools for training anesthesia leaders. TeamHealth Anesthesia offers both clinically based programs, like a perioperative fellowship program, as well as classroom-style training and meetings that focus on specific aspects of becoming a strong leader. TeamHealth Anesthesia is a Studer Group partner, a private healthcare consulting group that offers clinical, operational and financial training. TeamHealth provides Studer training and holds regular leadership and educational summits for medical directors and physician leaders.
Dr. Gottlieb recommends combining a variety of methods to create a tailored leadership development program. “Some people are born with leadership skills, others develop these skills over time, but everyone can use some extra training and development to become better, more effective leaders,” says Dr. Gottlieb.
Beyond providing leadership development, it is critical that programs follow an organized framework that allows for the measurement and reporting of individual growth and achievement. “In addition to the mechanisms for teaching anesthesiologists how to lead and perform, every hospital and/or ASC needs to establish well-defined expectations and metrics for measuring success and a consistent means to provide ongoing feedback to leaders on their performance,” says Dr. Gottlieb.
In today’s healthcare environment, reducing costs while increasing efficiencies and quality of care are benchmarks that healthcare organizations need to meet. A great way to run an efficient operating room and surgical process is with a perioperative specialist, a well-trained and motivated anesthesia leader. n