Originally published by Becker’s Healthcare.
At a Pennsylvania hospital, anesthesia services were struggling to keep pace with demand. Today, prime-time operating room utilization is up 15 points, driven not by more resources, but by a smarter, data-informed approach to staffing and coordination.
With nearly 40 million anesthetics administered in the U.S. each year, inefficiencies in the perioperative space add up quickly. Every case involves multiple handoffs, competing priorities, and time-sensitive decisions. For hospitals looking to improve throughput and patient experience, anesthesiology often sits at the center of both the challenge and the opportunity.
A Closer Look at the Challenge
The hospital had already established a strong partnership with TeamHealth for anesthesiology services. But as surgical volumes grew, so did the complexity of managing operating room access, staffing coverage, and coordination across teams.
To address this, hospital leadership brought in TeamHealth’s Performance and Innovations Consultant (PIC) team to evaluate current operations and identify opportunities to improve efficiency.
During a multi-day, on-site engagement, the team partnered with clinical and administrative leaders to assess workflows, review data, and gather input from key stakeholders. The goal: to discover what slowed the system down and what it would take to fix it.
From Insight to Action
Misalignment emerged as a clear theme. Staffing didn’t consistently match real-time demand, communication varied across teams, and existing processes weren’t keeping pace with a growing surgical program.
Following the engagement, the teams developed a targeted action plan focused on three priorities: aligning staffing with demand, improving communication across perioperative teams, and using data more effectively to guide decisions.
“Invaluable in demonstrating a need for change. I read through the report again and am excited about the opportunities ahead of us,” said the facility’s Chief Operating Officer.
One of the most impactful changes was a redesigned anesthesia staffing model. Built on real utilization data, the updated approach ensures coverage is aligned with peak demand during core hours while also positioning the team for future growth.
At the same time, the hospital implemented more structured communication practices, including daily huddles, real-time updates, and regular perioperative leadership meetings. These changes helped create greater consistency, reduce friction, and improve coordination across teams.
Measurable and Sustained Results
The impact was both immediate and sustained. Prime-time operating room utilization increased from an average of 44.18% to 59.3% in six months. Just as importantly, staffing is now aligned with real-time demand, which supports more efficient throughput without overextending resources.
Why It Matters
For hospitals facing similar pressures, this work highlights a critical takeaway. Improving OR efficiency isn’t always about adding capacity, it’s about optimizing what’s already in place. By aligning staffing with demand, strengthening communication, and grounding decisions in data, hospitals can unlock meaningful gains in both performance and patient experience.
Hospitals looking to improve operating room efficiency and align staffing with real-time demand can benefit from a similar, data-driven approach. To learn more about how TeamHealth partners with facilities to drive measurable results, connect with our team.
