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August 2019 Director of Surgical Services News Roundup, Part 2

August 30, 2019

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August 2019 Director of Surgical Services News Roundup, Part 2

In the second half of the month, we saw new facilities planned and built, new OR technology, and a surgical services department helping their community. Read on for more August 2019 director of surgical services news.

Surgical Services Top Priority for Orleans Community Health

Orleans Community Health (OCH) Foundation recently appointed a new executive director, Heather Smith, from Gasport, New York. Smith began working at the foundation as an administrative assistant in 2012.

Since she took the position, the foundation already ran one successful fundraiser, earning over $15,000 for the health system. OCH CEO Mark Cye requested that the first major funding goal be to bring additional surgical services to Medina Hospital in Medina, New York.

Cye detailed a strong need for additional surgical equipment to fully serve the needs of the community. The next fundraiser, set for November 2 is sure to be another success.

Original story can be found here.

UPMC St. Margaret Gets Surgical Upgrade

UPMC St. Margaret in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, recently received a brand-new da Vinci robot for their surgical services department. Dr. Sean Whelan, a surgeon at the hospital, spent the past two years lobbying for this particular piece of equipment and feels overjoyed that it has finally arrived.

The robot will be used to perform minimally invasive procedures. Some of the types it will be used for are gallbladder, hernia, urology, and general surgery. It can’t be used in all cases, but when appropriate, it reduces complications and recovery time.

Although this is the first surgical robot for UPMC St. Margaret, 11 hospitals in the system use them. Moreover, UPMC offers a world-renowned robotic training program required for surgical oncology fellows and attended by most general surgery residents. UPMC is proud to offer this program to prepare their students for this futuristic health care technology.

Original story can be found here.

New AI Technology Used For Surgical Documentation

Nuance, a company that creates AI software for many industries, launched a new software for surgery. CAPD, Computer-Assisted Physician Documentation, helps surgeons with pre- and post-surgery documentation.

The software saves time and effort in and out of the OR by using clinical documentation to create operative and charge reports automatically. According to the Nuance website, surgeons are able to create a “specific and compliant report in less than 90 seconds.”

Both hospitals and surgery centers are able to use this new technology.

Original story can be found here.

Director of Perioperative Services Accepted to Exclusive Leadership Program

Congratulations are in order for Regina L. Steele, the director of perioperative services for MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital in Leonardtown, Maryland. Steele is one of just 35 community leaders selected for the Leadership Southern Maryland Executive Program.

The program is a nine-month course consisting of a two-day opening retreat and eight additional one- to two-day sessions. Each session focuses on a particular topic, such as healthcare or education, with expert guest speakers from across the state providing information.

Participants must live in the tri-county area and fulfill a number of requirements before applying. Leadership Southern Maryland looks for a diverse group of leaders committed to using the skills learned for bettering the community.

Original story can be found here.

Medical Center Donates Supplies to Local School District

Colleton Medical Center’s surgical services department earned the right to be very proud of themselves. The team at this Walterboro, South Carolina, hospital tied with the imaging department for bringing in the most school supplies for Colleton School District.

It’s important for hospitals to give back to the community in many ways. The Colleton School District’s annual “Stuff the Bus” campaign brings a great opportunity for the hospital each year. This year, the facility collected over 200 pounds of supplies.

Both the imaging and the surgical services department earned a pizza party as their reward for being the top participants.

Original story can be found here.

New Surgery Center to Open in Ohio

Fisher-Titus, a health system in northern Ohio, made an agreement with surgeons from several ASCs in the area to open a new surgery center. Named The Surgery Center of North Central Ohio, the facility plans to have three operating rooms and one procedure room.

Construction begins this fall and the new center will open in late 2020. Fisher-Titus has an additional collaborative ASC opening earlier in the year in Sandusky, called Erie Shores Surgery Center.

Both of these new centers will bring more affordable and convenient care to residents in the region.

Original story can be found here.

West Virginia Hospital Adds Two New Operating Rooms

Wheeling Hospital, in Wheeling, West Virginia, received a major surgical services upgrade. They opened two high-tech operating rooms: one for robotic surgeries and one hybrid suite. The hybrid suite, called CAPS (Cardiovascular Advanced Procedure Suite), blends radiology, cardiology, and surgery.

CAPS allows surgeons to perform both minimally-invasive and open surgeries seamlessly. Additionally, it allows more advanced procedure options.

Original story can be found here.

Kentucky Hospital Reducing Opiod Deaths With New Protocols

In Kentucky, recent laws passed set strict rules for the prescription of opioid drugs. The University of Kentucky health system wants to take things a step further than the law through their own, stricter set of rules.

The health system now only allows doctors to prescribe opioids for two-weeks post-surgery, except in extreme cases. They created a rubric for how many and what type of medication to prescribe based on the severity of the injury or surgery. In many cases, over-the-counter pain medications, such as acetaminophen, are more appropriate than opiods.

Additionally, the new standards removed extended-release opioids from use. Extended-release options raise the risk of overdose up to five times more than regular release.

Leaders at the University of Kentucky urge other surgical services leadership to enact similar protocols at their facilities. University of Kentucky saw a drastic drop in the amount of opioids prescribed, as well as in refill requests, due to patient education.

Original story can be found here.