AI case study: How MultiCare Health System increased OR access

Wednesday, January 29th, 2025 | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CT

It is well understood that healthcare has an access problem. The problem has become so pervasive that the term "access to care" risks becoming a healthcare buzzword in 2025.

While healthcare organizations of all sizes need greater capacity and better operational systems to improve care access, the problem can be particularly vexing for multihospital health systems. These systems face the complex challenge of coordinating surgical demand with operating room capacity while managing resources effectively. The reliance on outdated, manual block management processes exacerbates these challenges, limiting the ability to optimize OR time and improve patient outcomes.

Join Chris Hunt, associate vice president of perioperative services at Tacoma, Wash.-based MultiCare Health System, and Wesley Hart, MD, anesthesiologist at MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital, for a discussion about how their organization leveraged AI to increase staffed room usage by 16% and add 1,600 incremental cases, among other results.

Learning objectives include:

How to replicate operational optimization across facilities
How improved efficiency affects healthcare teams and patient outcomes
The benefits of a regional scheduling to support multihospital health systems

Presenters:

Chris Hunt, MBA, MSHA, BSN, RN, CSSM, NEA-BC

Associate Vice President, Perioperative Services, MultiCare Health System

Wesley Hart, MD

Anesthesiologist, MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital

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