M A R C H 2 0 1 7 O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T 4 9
fewer upgrades for video towers and camera boxes in the years ahead.
4. Standardize
This applies to room layout as much as it does to integration technology. Most
of our ORs measure 650 square feet, although a few are as big as 800 square
feet, and we decided every OR would have the same level of integration in
terms of the image-routing system, as well as the light sources, camera boxes
and other equipment needed for minimally invasive surgery.
That having been said, you have to be able to accommodate certain special-
ties; we have 2 ORs with intraoperative MRI capability, for example. This is
where your friends from clinical engineering are invaluable, because they're the
experts on everything from the cabling and wiring needed for any kind of video
equipment, to the special hookups needed to accommodate robotics, to whether
a 4K ultra-high-definition surgical display is the best fit for a certain OR.
Opening the doors
Being involved in the project from the very beginning has made me realize that,
other than patient care, helping to manage building projects is one of the
aspects that I like most about my job. You get to have a hand in making life just
a little better for surgeons, staff and patients for generations to come. Today,
because of the detailed planning we put into mapping out the new center, it's
our turn to open our doors to other surgical professionals who are eager to
learn from our experiences as they prepare to build integrated ORs of their
own.
OSM
Ms. Kendall-Bailey (brenda.kendall@osumc.edu) is the
administrator of surgical services for The Ohio State
University Comprehensive Cancer Center in Columbus, Ohio.
