Staffing Shortages: Using an innovative approach to address critical staffing challenges in operating rooms

Thursday, February 3rd, 2022 | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CT

While simultaneously undergoing fluctuations in surgical case volume due to influxes of COVID-related inpatient admissions, perioperative departments are experiencing critical staffing shortages. The shortages are exacerbated by quarantined staff, leading to depletion of both employees and contractors, which in turn increases costs in efforts to supplement with additional travel staff or investment in recruiting and retention.

Join health system performance improvement and perioperative peers from Baptist Health Jacksonville, FL and Oregon Health and Sciences University as they discuss current best practices for managing OR backlogs and mitigating staff shortages in today’s unpredictable environment. Topics will include, but not be limited to, converting blocked time to open time, identifying current and future volumes of surgical caseload to better match resource and staff constraints, standardizing urgency/priority definitions across facilities, and general staff retention strategies.

Several leading health systems have successfully leveraged innovative tools to navigate staffing shortages. Those highlighted in the webinar include:

Baptist Health, Jacksonville, FL utilizing a backlog management tool in the height of the pandemic, as well as proving strategies for staff optimization
Oregon Health & Science University leveraging a new tool to effectively manage OR rooms given staffing and/or resource constraints

Presenters:

Sara Hubbard

Principal Consultant, Operational Performance Improvement, Baptist Health

Kristen Lund

Manager, Preoperative Medicine Clinic/OR Scheduling/MSPU Scheduling, Oregon Health and Sciences University

Ashley Walsh, MHA

Vice President, Client Services-Operating Rooms, LeanTaaS