When the submissions started rolling in for our 7th annual OR Excellence Awards, we noticed a common theme in entry after entry — in order to be the best, you have to surround yourself with the best.

"My staff goes above and beyond to cater to all patients, as well as comfort them," one entry reads. "We have a tremendous staff that are amongst the best I've worked with," adds another. "When it comes to staffing needs, my employees ROCK!" gushes one manager.

These are just a few of the comments from leaders across the country, highlighting what you already know — that team effort and collaboration are the keys to success in any surgical facility.

Our winners embody this idea. They work with staff and surgeons to creatively cut costs, fight back against SSIs and keep patients safe and happy. While our 7 award winners have performed outstanding achievements that deserve recognition, we also know that the 100 entries in this year's contest only represent a snapshot of the surgical superstars across the country.

So, while we honor those who've found excellence in financial management, patient safety, staff safety, pain control, patient satisfaction, infection control and environmental stewardship in the following pages, we also want to take a moment to recognize you, and all of the behind-the-scenes players who help you do your best work every day. We hope to hear from you next year.

— The Editors of Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Financial Management
Erica Natal, BSN, MHA, MBA
Rockford Gastroenterology Associates
Rockford, Ill.

Patient Safety
Steven Vitcov, MD
Presidio Surgery Center
San Francisco, Calif.

Staff Safety
Pat Plett, BNRN, MS-HSA, CNOR
Honorhealth-Scottsdale Thompson Peak Medical Center
Scottsdale, Ariz.

Pain Control
Barbara Holder, RN, BSN, LHRN
Andrews Institute ASC
Gulf Breeze, Fla.

Patient Satisfaction
Mary Radke, RN, BSN
Dakota Eye Surgery Center
Bismarck, N.D.

Infection Control
Joan Conine, BSN, RN, CNOR, RNFA
Mercy Tiffin Hospital
Tiffin, Ohio

Environmental Stewardship
Audrey Witucki, LPN, CST
Lakewood Health System
Staples, Minn.