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We had a blast on the beach last month in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Photos by Michele Eve Sandberg and Outpatient Surgery Editors 1. DISTRACTED DOCTORING Technology improves surgery, but it can be also be a deadly distraction, says Peter Papadakos, MD, FCCM, FAARC, professor of anesthesiology and surgery at the University of Rochester (N.Y.) Medical Center. During a powerful presentation on opening day, Dr. Papadakos implored attendees to put down their smartphones and tablets and pay more attention to providing safe patient care.
For our 10th anniversary meeting (ORX X!), OR Excellence returned to the spectacular Marriott Harbor Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale, where our amazing attendees, incredible speakers and informative vendors who made this year's conference one of the best ever shined as bright as the South Florida sun. We take a fond look back at some of the memorable moments from last month's conference and look forward to seeing you next year in New Orleans.
— Outpatient Surgery Editors
2. FORWARD THINKING Rafael Grossmann, MD, FACS, a general surgeon and surgery futurist, is a passionate believer that disruptive technology like virtual reality will be here sooner than you think.
3. WORDS OF WISDOM It's easy to have a just culture when it's not needed, says William Duffy, RN, MJ, CNOR, FAAN, past president of AORN and director of graduate nursing health systems management at Loyola University in Chicago. The key, he says, is to ensure nurses always feel empowered to admit mistakes and learn from them.
4. HAPPY HOUR Kevin O'Neill and Frank Ryan, sales managers at DeSoutter Medical, welcome attendees to their booth during the much-anticipated wine tasting event on the conference's opening night.
5. PITCH PERFECT John Kurowski of D.A. Surgical explains the benefits of his company's Trendelenburg patient restraint system to Ashley Simmons, BSN, RN, CNOR, director of surgical services at Mobile (Ala.) Infirmary Medical Center.
6. WINDING DOWN Cathy Burke, RN, vice president of clinical services, and Tanya Deans, RN, unit team leader at Kemptville District Hospital (Ontario, Canada), enjoy their time in the exhibit hall after a day packed with networking and learning opportunities.
7. MEETING OF THE MINDS Dr. Papadakos hangs out with Ashish Sinha, MD, PhD, DABA, MBA, professor and vice chairman of anesthesiology at Temple University's Katz College of Medicine in Philadelphia, and Rena Courtay, RN, BSN, MBA, CASC, the president of Solutions for Outpatient Surgery.
8. SEEING IS BELIEVING Stryker's Tedrick Wright fits LaKatherine Adams, MHA, BSN, nurse manager at UH Shreveport (La.), with the Microsoft HoloLens for a look at surgery's future.
9. TAKE THIS JOB AND ... David Taylor, MSN, RN, CNOR, a part-time consultant based in San Antonio, Texas, left a full-time job as an OR leader because he was burned out from being overworked and underappreciated. He shared his secrets for rediscovering inspiration in a career that began with a calling to provide excellent patient care.
10. LISTEN AND LEARN Fidelia Roster, MSN, RN, CCRN, CNRN, chief care continuum officer at Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Fla. (left), and Laurie Shank, MBA, BSN, RN, CNOR, director of surgical services at Winter Haven (Fla.) Hospital, stop by the Myco Medical booth to chat with rep Michael Taylor.
11. HANDS ON Diane Cooper-Fruhstuck, MSN, RN, CNOR, director of outpatient surgical and endoscopy services at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Ill., learns about the QuickRinse instrument rinse system from David Salzberg, president of Advanced Optisurgical.
12. TOP PAIR James Cousin, MBA, CPA, chief financial officer and vice president of business strategy at AORN, and AORN's CEO and Executive Director Linda Groah, MSN, RN, CNOR, NEA-BC, FAAN, check out the exhibit hall festivities.
13. DINING AL FRESCO Amy Allard, administrative director of the Ramapo Valley Surgical Center in Ramsey, N.J., and Grady Cartwright, director of supply chain management at Convergent Same Day Orthopedic Strategies in Carlsbad, Calif, enjoy a beachside lunch during a break in the action.
14. TRIPLE PLAY (left to right) Linda Winkelman, RN, director of the Community Medical Center in Falls City, Neb.; Sheryl Gosnell, RN, MSN, executive surgery director at Community Howard Regional Health Surgery Center in Kokomo, Ind.; and Mary Callaway, BNS, RN, pre-op/PACU manager at Birmingham (Ala.) Surgery Center, connect in the exhibit hall.
15. UNNECESSARY CARE Presenting new research findings about doctors performing unnecessary procedures and overprescribing opioids, Marty Makary, MD, MPH, FACS, says "appropriateness of care" is the No. 1 crisis in health care. Dr. Makary is a professor of surgery and health policy and management, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Md.
16. EXPERT ADVICE (left to right) Stephen Lucey, MD, Jenny Graham, RNFA, CASC, CNOR, and Donna Garvey, CMPE, ran a 3-hour, pre-conference workshop packed with practical tips about launching and running a successful same-day joint replacement program.
17. STARTING LINE Geralyn Long, nurse manager at Lexington (S.C.) Medical Center, gets a lesson on first-stick IV success from Brendan Campbell, regional sales director at AccuVein.
18. REEL WORLD Dr. Sinha moderated an exclusive screening of The Checklist Effect, a powerful 45-minute documentary about delivering safer surgery on a global scale.
19. WINNING PERFORMANCE Teresa Burwell, MHR, BSN, RN, NE-BC, CGRN, director of perioperative services at Atrium Health-CHS Lincoln in Lincolnton, N.C., took home this year's OR Excellence Award for Infection Control. Mike Povenz of BD, sponsor of the award, helped recognize Ms. Burwell's achievement.
20. FUN BUNCH The crew from Kaiser Permanente South Baltimore County Medical Center in Maryland celebrates with their friend and colleague Risa Humphries, RN (back row, white sweater), who won the ORX Power Hour's grand prize — an all-expenses-paid trip to OR Excellence 2019 in New Orleans.
21. THREE'S COMPANY (left to right) Joyce Parhiala, RN, CNOR, nurse manager, Karen Belanger, business office manager, and Cathy D'Entremont, RN, MBA, chief operating officer, at the Orchard Surgical Center in Salem, N.H., visit the Beaver-Visitec International booth during the Power Hour cocktail party in the exhibit hall.
22. CHECKING IN Russ Bowen of Ellex iTrack chats with Heather Myers, RN, director of surgical services at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pa.
23. CONTINUING EDUCATION Ed Morris, BSN, CNOR, CRNFA, clinical manager at Lewes (Del.) Surgery Center, learns about the offerings of the Ambler Surgical Corporation from President Marty Anthony.
24. INFECTION PREVENTION Karen Flohr, ADN, clinical coordinator at Waynesboro Hospital in Pa., talks with Hal Turner, vice president of Aseptic Air Control, about sending clean air flow over surgical sites and sterile instruments.
25. TALK LATER Jared Richmond of Serres makes plans to follow up with Carol Cappella, RN, MSN, clinical director of the Delray Beach (Fla.) Surgery Center, about his company's solution for safe and cost-effective fluid waste disposal.
26. SPEED SELLING During the ORX Big 10 Reverse Trade Show, invited leaders from the nation's highest volume surgical facilities welcomed reps from leading vendors for a series of 5-minute, one-to-one presentations.
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