Editor’s Page: The Next Chapter in Excellence

When my six-year-old son returned from a day of treasure hunting in “the dungeon” — my mom’s long-neglected basement — he was wearing a mischievous grin and carrying an old trophy with my name on it.

“You didn’t tell me you were the MVP, Dad!” my little guy exclaimed. “Congratulations!!”

His enthusiasm reminded me of that scene in “Elf” where Will Ferrell’s character, Buddy, sees a sign for the “World’s Best Cup of Coffee” and proceeds to congratulate a group of confused New York diner workers on their accomplishment.

I was indeed the 1995-1996 St. Paul’s CYO Basketball MVP, an honor that required me to beat out about eight other players from our scrappy middle school team. I’d all but forgotten about the trophy, but the minute Six held it up, it all came back.

My MVP was far from the highlight of the awards ceremony, which was the last of its kind. During a speech about how far our team had come, Coach Rick made ill-advised comments about a teammate named Dino’s porous “airplane defense” — a reference to the boy’s awkward and ineffective arm gestures when attempting to guard opposing teams — and his propensity for tears.

The comment drew laughter — and the ire of Dino’s emotional and inebriated father. In a fit of rage, Dino’s Dad rushed the stage and went after Coach Rick. Punches were thrown before cooler heads prevailed, and with one fell swoop, the trajectory of the entire awards ceremony was changed forever. (It may sound crazy, but this was the ’90s — the decade in which both Billy Ray Cyrus and Pauly Shore were major celebrities.)

Instead of a Saturday night party, the awards event became a tame, alcohol-free Sunday morning affair — probably for the best.

The trip down memory lane reminded me of how our own honors, the OR Excellence Awards, are currently in the midst of their own transition. We’ve got something special planned for the 15th annual edition of an awards program that aims to honor and celebrate surgical leaders and their dedicated OR teams for their efforts in eight categories (Financial Management, Environmental Stewardship, Pain Control, Patient Safety, Patient Satisfaction, SSI Prevention, Employee Safety, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion). While the details of the new awards ceremony will be unveiled shortly, we’re currently accepting nominations until the end of the month (July 28). The OR Excellence Awards selection process is one of the most rewarding aspects of this job, and our team is always blown away by the quality and creativity you and your OR teams display in providing the best possible care.

Don’t miss out! If you feel your staff is worthy of recognition for their efforts and acumen in any of the above categories — or if you want to nominate another deserving facility — then this is a perfect opportunity to potentially get their story out to an engaged audience of 108,000 readers.

To nominate yourself or one of your peers for an OR Excellence Award, simply visit this site and tell our judges (the editorial staff of Outpatient Surgery Magazine) why we should pick you and your facility: osmag.net/Nominate OSM