Hospital administrative support for operating room initiatives is imperative for their success, and hospital ORs can play a large role in a hospital's financial and operational success. The following three responses address key aspects of a hospital OR-administration relationship.
Q: What should the relationship between a hospital OR and the hospital administration be?
Pamela Booker, MSN, RN, CNOR, Division Chief Nursing Officer, Continental Division, LifePoint Hospitals, Brentwood, Tenn.: In one word — close. Very open communication that fosters trust is essential. Collaborative physician relationships also are critical to the success of the hospital, and the OR plays a significant role in these relationships. Knowing that the OR and the hospital executive team are on the same page can significantly impact how physicians, staff and other departments respect the role of the OR.
Clark Lagemann, Vice President, Health Options Worldwide: Teamwork should be the emphasis between a hospital OR and administration. While hospital administrators concentrate their attention towards maximizing OR profitability, they should not forget that they only work as one, [and] as a result there's increased hospital profitability through contribution margins. By working together, these fields can drive all resources to enlarge OR productivity.
Joe Smith, Vice President of Perioperative Strategy, Optum: With the significant contribution that the OR makes to the hospital's fiscal health, more than 50 percent of all hospital costs and revenues, and because the OR plays such a significant role in the quality measures hospitals must report on in today's healthcare environment, any hospital where the OR is not central to any decision made by administration that might either directly or even peripherally affect the OR runs the risk of making costly mistakes. OR leadership should clearly have a seat at the table and a strong voice in key decisions made by any hospital or health system.
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Q: What should the relationship between a hospital OR and the hospital administration be?
Pamela Booker, MSN, RN, CNOR, Division Chief Nursing Officer, Continental Division, LifePoint Hospitals, Brentwood, Tenn.: In one word — close. Very open communication that fosters trust is essential. Collaborative physician relationships also are critical to the success of the hospital, and the OR plays a significant role in these relationships. Knowing that the OR and the hospital executive team are on the same page can significantly impact how physicians, staff and other departments respect the role of the OR.
Clark Lagemann, Vice President, Health Options Worldwide: Teamwork should be the emphasis between a hospital OR and administration. While hospital administrators concentrate their attention towards maximizing OR profitability, they should not forget that they only work as one, [and] as a result there's increased hospital profitability through contribution margins. By working together, these fields can drive all resources to enlarge OR productivity.
Joe Smith, Vice President of Perioperative Strategy, Optum: With the significant contribution that the OR makes to the hospital's fiscal health, more than 50 percent of all hospital costs and revenues, and because the OR plays such a significant role in the quality measures hospitals must report on in today's healthcare environment, any hospital where the OR is not central to any decision made by administration that might either directly or even peripherally affect the OR runs the risk of making costly mistakes. OR leadership should clearly have a seat at the table and a strong voice in key decisions made by any hospital or health system.
Related Articles on OR Efficiency:
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3 Thoughts on Collaboration Between ORs and Other Hospital Departments