Staff appreciation gestures have been a mainstay of the first year of operations at National Ambulatory Surgery Center in San Jose, Calif. Whether it’s a more formal designation for the Employee of the Quarter...

Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan (OAM) at Midtowne, a freestanding surgery center in Grand Rapids, provided free lunches to joint replacement patients and the person who accompanies them to the facility after launching...

Staff at Einstein Endoscopy Center in Blue Bell, Pa., used to receive annual ergonomics training based on a standardized program designed by experts who work for the large health system that owns the facility. The instruction...

Sometimes all it takes to put younger patients at ease before surgery is a friend — a furry one they can squeeze to death in the OR and take home with them after the procedure is over. That’s the idea behind...

When Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minn., wanted to step up its sustainability efforts, placing more recycling bins around the facility was a great start. But too many staff were still uncertain about what should be recycled...

Days fill up fast when you’re managing a busy surgical facility, and it’s often difficult to remember — or find the time — to get out from behind your desk to connect with staff, see how they’re doing and answer questions they have...

Forcing loved ones to sit in their vehicles in the parking lot as part of COVID-19 restrictions made The Toledo (Ohio) Clinic Outpatient Surgery Center’s job of providing the best possible patient experience more difficult...

Supply chain issues during the pandemic caused deliveries of Diet Coke, Mountain Dew and other sodas to be delayed at Vance Thompson Vision in Sioux Falls, S.D. When the soda deliveries went away in 2020, the facility’s leadership...

It can be difficult to keep busy employees present — physically and mentally — during staff meetings. That’s why leadership at Heartland Surgery Center in Kearney, Neb., offers three separate gift card drawings...

It feels good to go above and beyond for someone just to see them smile. That’s the reasoning behind Vance Thompson Vision’s secret service initiative, which allows anyone on the staff to spend up to $100 on a patient...

Leadership at Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan (OAM) at Midtowne in Grand Rapids wanted a better way to communicate with staff in the event of an emergency. In March 2020, the facility started using the GroupMe app,...

Patients who underwent surgery at Hunterdon Center for Surgery in Flemington, N.J., used to store their street clothes in non descript plastic bags. But then leadership saw an opportunity to improve on the practice...

The administration at Heartland Surgery Center in Kearney, Neb., doesn’t wait around for standard holidays to let loose and have fun. “We celebrated national coffee day and had a local coffee shop deliver drinks,” says...

Patients who receive care at the Advanced Spine Center of Wisconsin in Neenah undergo long procedures, leaving patient escorts to sit for hours while they wait. “After a handful of patient satisfaction surveys noted that...

Are you are on a first-name basis with the men and women who bring important supplies and equipment to your facility on a weekly (or sometimes daily) basis? Bill Willis, RN, the ASC director at Vance Thompson Vision in...

Coming up with a discreet way to identify patients who have bloodborne pathogens such as HIV or hepatitis B — infectious diseases that pose risks to staff members — simultaneously maintains patient dignity...

Administrative staff can suffer from shoulder, back and neck strain caused by cradling phones between their ears and shoulders for hours on end, so Marisa Ynchausti, RN, BSN, clinical nurse manager at National Ambulatory...

Medicare requires surgical facilities to have an emergency plan in place for rare and dire events that could take place in a healthcare setting. Of course, even the most comprehensive emergency plan won’t help if...

Staff at Vance Thompson Vision, an ophthalmic surgery center in Sioux Falls, S.D., hold the hands of patients who are particularly anxious before they enter surgery. The team is convinced the practice is every bit as effective...

Enhancing employee safety is an ongoing process, not a one-and-done initiative. That’s what led Brandy Ginzinger, RN, director of surgical services at UCF Lake Nona Medical Center in Orlando, to create her department’s...