Despite Change, Certain Things Remain the Same in Anesthesia

Icon

Home

Icon

Virtual Learning

Icon

Learning Opportunities

Icon

Resource Materials

Icon

News & Publications

Icon

Research Projects

Icon

Contact

Healthcare is continuing its noisy evolution and, along the way, creating states of “new normal” in a variety of areas including costs, which according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute report seemed to have settled, for now, at a 6-7% increase. That fact seems to fly in the face of mandates to lower costs without sacrificing safety and quality and while paying attention to the customer experience. Yet as difficult as it may seem, when it comes to OR operations, it’s doable, in part, if, maybe a big if, healthcare facilities are willing to take another look at their anesthesia options.

Where to begin? Start with the alignment between OR utilization and staffing models. Are they unbalanced? If so, examine the provider ratio. Too much capacity, too little? Do you have a blended team comprising anesthesiologists and CRNAs? In our experience, have seen that clinical quality remains high and costs can often be lowered when anesthesia care teams are deployed.

As more states choose to opt out of the Exemption from Federal Regulation for Physician Supervision of CRNAs, they’re creating opportunities for hospitals and surgery centers to achieve fiscal and functional efficiencies in OR operations by taking advantage of the value blended care teams deliver to bottom lines and patient care.

Read “Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists in the Care Team Model” and find out why it might be the right strategy for your facility. Though written in 2014, the premise still holds true today—maybe even more so today.

Related reading: “Anesthesia Staffing Models That Drive Value and Improve Quality.

Source: Byers, Jeff (2017, June 13). Healthcare Costs at ‘New Normal’ But Still Outpacing Wages. HealthDIVE.com. Retrieved from http://www.healthcaredive.com/news/healthcare-costs-at-new-normal-but-still-outpacing-wages-inflation/444793/

Leave a Reply

Find A Career That’s Right For You