Driving Change in Anesthesiology Operating Room Efficiency

Sapana Amin, MBA, Senior Vice President of Operations

Christine Cattaneo, MD, MBA, Regional Medical Director, Northeast Group, Anesthesiology

Lea Singh, MBA, Vice President of Operations, Northeast Group, Anesthesiology

Karla Hamilton, MSN, RN, CNML, Performance Innovation Consultant, Anesthesiology

The Joint Commission estimates that nearly 40 million anesthetics are administered in the United States each year. The sheer volume of surgical patients means there are millions of patient interactions each year and countless opportunities to improve clinical operations. As patients move through perioperative spaces, they are faced with multiple points of transition and communication with anesthesiology teams, who should work to maintain focus on efficiency for teams and
for patients. At TeamHealth, our process improvement programs provide consultation and support to our hospital partners to maximize clinical efficiency, improve patient care, and enhance operational performance.

Engaging the Team

The hospital has been a partner with TeamHealth for anesthesiology services for more than two years. With a close working relationship, the facility leadership team engaged TeamHealth’s Performance Innovation Consultants (PIC) team to improve operating room utilization and optimize staffing. During an on-site event, the PIC team helped set goals to identify areas of refinement and then formulate collaborative and comprehensive protocols to ensure ongoing
improvement and growth.

The team’s primary objectives following the site visit were to:

• Identify opportunities for enhanced operating room and non-operating room anesthesia utilization and scheduling
• Align staffing needs and anesthesia coverage
• Integrate data-driven solutions to improve efficiency and coordination
• Create collaborative solutions with input from clinical leadership, surgeons, and other key stakeholders
• Provide recommendations to leadership

Implementing Change

The team’s coordination leading up to October meant that they had a clear plan of action and objectives going into the multi-day, on-site event. Interviews with key stakeholders revealed diverse perspectives on staffing, constraints, barriers, and ideas to drive improvement. A review of anesthesiology coverage, documentation, and available data also provided insights into the current state. As the surgical program at the facility grew, the anesthesiology team anticipated an expansion of their services and a need for enhanced efficiency and consistency for cases, making change management all the more relevant. The teams also noted a need for continued and enhanced collaboration across departments. Following the event, the teams created an action plan to improve operating room efficiency, which they saw as crucial for improving patient experience, strengthening staff satisfaction, maximizing resources, minimizing waste, and reducing costs.