How physician leaders are reshaping surgical ops: Lessons from WakeMed, Lee Health + more
Wednesday, January 28th, 2026 | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CT
OR inefficiencies are a known drain on resources — but many hospitals still struggle to drive sustainable change.
In this live panel, physician executives from WakeMed, Lee Health and Cone Health share what it really takes to transform surgical services and achieve lasting operational gains.
They'll discuss how their organizations are tackling entrenched issues in perioperative resource management — from underused block time to poor throughput and OR delays — and how they're using technology, governance and change management strategies to improve coordination and capacity.
Insights include:
In this live panel, physician executives from WakeMed, Lee Health and Cone Health share what it really takes to transform surgical services and achieve lasting operational gains.
They'll discuss how their organizations are tackling entrenched issues in perioperative resource management — from underused block time to poor throughput and OR delays — and how they're using technology, governance and change management strategies to improve coordination and capacity.
Insights include:
- How to optimize surgical operations through better resource allocation
- The governance models enabling physician-led change and measurable OR performance improvement
- Real-world approaches to reducing delays, improving throughput and increasing block utilization
Presenters:
Matthew Tsuei, MD
President, Central Carolina Surgery, A Duke Health Practice; Former Chair, Cone Health iQueue Committee
Charles Harr, MD, MBA
Chief Medical Officer, WakeMed
Thomas Hunt, MD
Vice President & Chief Physician Executive, LeeHealth