Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
Issue link: http://outpatientsurgery.uberflip.com/i/1284191
Surgical cases start late twice a month so the entire care team can participate in mock codes. "Emergency situations — such as malignant hyper- thermia events — are rare in the OR, so we make sure staff practice the response protocols," says Ms. Sebastian. "We want them to stay abreast on the lat- est techniques and fully understand their roles." • Smoke-free ORs. Both hospitals have received AORN's Gold Level Go Clear Award, which is given to facilities that achieve full compliance in the elimi- nation of surgical smoke. "That was a big undertak- ing — it took close to a year to accomplish," says Ms. Sebastian. "We received pushback from sur- geons, but we educated and persisted. Evacuators are now used in 100% of cases. That was a huge win for us." In a recent Press Ganey survey, every member of the surgical services team said they view patients as individuals with specific care needs and treat patients with equal effort, even when circumstances make providing safe care difficult. "We're always staying current with safe perioper- ative practices and the latest trends and develop- ments in safe practices," says Ms. Sebastian. "The dedication and passion of our staff are worthy of recognition." OSM 2 6 • O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 0 Monticello Community Surgery Center has always prioritized patient safety — even before it officially opened. Days before hosting its first case in March 2014, the facility's staff hosted a day of mock surgeries with family members serving as patients. It was a fun and effective way to evaluate patient care processes and iden- tify and correct issues before the OR doors opened for real, says Victoria Brozovich, RN, CAPA, clinical manager of the facility in Charlottesville, Va. Creative approaches to maintaining patient safety at the facility continue. Ms. Brozovich organizes competency fairs held in the first quarter of each year to review compliance requirements, conduct safety drills and practice emergency preparedness. The fair is held on a Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., so it doesn't interfere with patient care and staff can dedicate their time and attention to learning how to be safer providers. Staff members bring homemade dishes for their colleagues to enjoy as they listen to presentations by guest speakers and vendor reps, watch safety-related YouTube videos and participate in live drills. The center's patient registration manager is an amateur actor and once masterfully played the role of an incapacitated surgeon during a lesson in fire safety. He had the staff laughing — but also engaged. The day is kept light with an emphasis on serious learning. "Our medical director always says the events we cover might never happen, but we practice as if they will," says Ms. Brozovich. "We're always prepared for whatever might happen." — Dan Cook Engaged Staff Is Prepared to Protect Patients HONORABLE MENTION LEARNING OPPORTUNITY The Monticello Community Surgery Center's staff take part in a pre-pandemic airway management in-service. Victoria Brozovich, RN, CAPA PATIENT SAFETY