First Case Podcast

What do you do before you open an item to the sterile field? From the first day we step into an operating room, we're taught to inspect our items for damage, ensure sterility, and check the expiration dates. But why are those expiration dates there? And how can we ensure that we avoid issues with expired products in our departments?   Joining us in the studio to talk all things expiration dates is...

The most common type of violence in the healthcare setting is violence from patients, families, or visitors toward healthcare staff. In today's interview, we're addressing this important topic and discussing how it relates to the surgical setting with JD Buchert, Director of Workforce Safety at Parkland Health in Dallas, TX. Join us as we discuss the sobering reality of violence toward healthcare...

Establishing new policies and procedures for centralization can help you ensure that your organization is prepared for a successful future. Find out why it's important to have policies and procedures that are specific to centralization in today's Expert Series On-The-Go! with Bryan Stuart.  💡In this weekly series we're learning from industry expert 𝗕𝗿𝘆𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝗖𝗖𝗦𝗩𝗣, 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗹...

How clean is the air in your OR? Do you know what you're breathing in during cases that generate surgical smoke? On today's interview we're speaking with Kim Tuemler, OR Nurse and founder of Wylie-Tuemler OR Nurse Consulting about the dangers of surgical smoke. Join us as Kim shares how she learned about the risks of inhaling surgical smoke and find out what she did about it. Today's interview wil...

We've got a treat in store for you today! Lindsey Joyce is back in the studio with Chris Blevins and Melanie Perry to uncover the exciting, but sometimes gruesome, history of surgery. Today's conversation will make you wince as you learn about the alarming experiences of patients having surgery prior to anesthesia. You'll cringe when you discover the chilling extent of bloodletting practices. And...

What are the critical logistics to consider when planning for centralization? In today's episode, Bryan shares 5 crucial aspects of planning that cannot be overlooked. Tune in now! 💡In this weekly series we're learning from industry expert 𝗕𝗿𝘆𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝗖𝗖𝗦𝗩𝗣, 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗽. Bryan has over 30 years of experience in the medical field and 13 years of oper...

"What does my preference card say?" How many times have we been asked that question? How often have our preference cards not been up-to-date and we've pulled the wrong instrument, medication, or supply? Preference cards are a often a source of frustration in our Operating Rooms, but they don't have to be! In today's interview, we dive into the details of preference cards with Jen Nichols, Senior C...

When determining the size of the sterile storage area, what elements should be considered? In today's episode, Bryan shares three insights that can instruct how to set up a storage system with accurate space estimations to meet your facility's needs. Tune in now to learn more! 💡In this weekly series we're learning from industry expert 𝗕𝗿𝘆𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝗖𝗖𝗦𝗩𝗣, 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁...

 Have you experienced a sharps injury, and did you report it after it happened? Joining us today to discuss all things sharps safety is Kristine Little, an OR Nurse from North Carolina and consultant/nurse educator for Qlicksmart. In today's episode, we're going to uncover the realities and prevalence of sharps injuries, find out what AORN, AST, and OSHA have to say about sharps safety, and also d...

 "Accurately calculating instrument utilization, processing times, and inventory levels can help manage a health system effectively. However, making these sound decisions is only as good as the data used to make them. 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮, 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘂𝗻𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻." Find out more...

When you need blood during an emergency, do you know how to order it? Do you know the different blood products that are available for your patient? In today's episode, we're speaking with Lindsey Joyce, CVOR nurse and First Case content creator to learn more about the many blood products available for use during surgery. Whether you're dealing with a scheduled case or an emergency situation, tune...

"A purpose-built, offsite facility to service multiple medical centers can help to save healthcare institutions money, as opposed to building or expanding on-premises facilities." In today's episode, Bryan shares how surgical instrument centralization can be a compelling investment with largescale cost-savings over time. Tune in to find out more! 💡In this weekly series we're learning from industr...

It's time to Huddle Up - and get ready for the Season 13 Premier of First Case! This season is dedicated to covering all those safety topics you might hear covered quickly in a morning meeting or in more detail in a staff meeting, and Chris and Melanie are going to keep you learning all season long! In today's episode, Chris teaches us a new way to look at the acronym S.I.D.S. (Seal, Indicator, Da...

Surgical smoke is the dangerous byproduct of the energy-generating devices used in surgical procedures. During laparoscopic cases, surgical smoke must be removed to maintain field of vision and to protect patients and staff from exposure, but how do you evacuate surgical smoke and still maintain the pressure needed for the laparoscopic procedure? We're going to find out in today's First Case Vendo...

"Centralization requires a team with the right combination of expertise and experience to advance the process with speed, accuracy, and efficiency." In today's episode, Bryan shares how to identify the right personnel for your team - Tune in to find out! 💡In this weekly series we're learning from industry expert 𝗕𝗿𝘆𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝗖𝗖𝗦𝗩𝗣, 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗽. Bryan...

How often have you been asked to apply abdominal pressure during a colonoscopy? This practice isn't just tough on the team—it also poses serious risks to both the staff and the patient. Join us in this First Case Vendor Spotlight TM  as we learn about colonoscopies and as we explore the very real dangers of manually applying abdominal pressure. In this eye-opening conversation, James Hathorn, CEO...

As health systems move to reprocess at a centralized location, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲-𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. There are also considerations for logistics that impact the typical 5-6 hours required to reprocess an instrument set. Current inventory levels may need to be augmented and in today's episode, 𝗕𝗿𝘆𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼...

In this 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 of First Case, we sit down with Connie Hall, Endoscopy Supervisor at the University of Missouri, to learn more about colonoscopies and to uncover a serious risk to patients and staff. Tune in as Connie discusses how colonoscopies have evolved during her 35+ years in healthcare, including equipment advancements and shifts in patient demographics. We'll also learn abo...

As health systems strive to improve quality and value for their communities, they may face the dueling conflict of meeting individual surgeon needs while supporting system goals for standardization and economies of scale. This tension can be particularly acute when it comes to preference items, which are the vendor-specific supplies and equipment surgeons want to use in their cases. Tune in as Bry...

How long does it take for a health system to plan and prepare for surgical instrument centralization? What steps can be taken to ensure a successful outcome? Find out in today's episode as Bryan answers the question, "How long does it really take to implement surgical instrument centralization?" In this weekly series we're learning from industry expert Bryan Stuart, CCSVP, National Director of Ste...

Have you ever considered the impact that your choice of surgical gloves can have on your day-to-day work and hand health? In this new First Case Vendor Spotlight TM , Dr. Rosemary Babeaux, the Global Medical Science Lead for the United States at Cardinal Health TM , returns to discuss the latest advancements in surgical gloves, including the patented Neu-Thera TM  moisturizing coating for Protexis...

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟮-𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗢𝗻-𝗧𝗵𝗲-𝗚𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀! In this weekly series we're learning from industry expert Bryan Stuart, CCSVP, National Director of Sterile Supply Solutions at Aesculap. Bryan has over 30 years of experience in the medical field and 13 years of operational experience in an FDA-regulated environment as a third party processor of surgical linens and instrumentation. From t...

With the Covid pandemic still fresh in our minds, we can all remember the daily struggle for supplies. But it doesn't take a pandemic to empty our supplies. In this final episode of Season 12, we're speaking with Suzi Collins, Director of Supply Chain Analytics for Banner Health, and we're going to discover the inner workings of Supply Chain. How does a tornado in Memphis, TN, affect hospitals in...

Do you know where your Downtime Forms are located? Do you know how recently they were updated? Joining us today to discuss Cyber Attacks and the importance of having a comprehensive plan in place to address initial downtime communication is Carmel Pound and Niesan Emara. Using both real-world and hypothetical examples, Carmel and Niesan make the case for the importance of including downtime traini...

It's our final installment of our Expert Series On-The-Go series with Asset Recovery Expert Ashley Jackson! We're wrapping up the series with a final look at lifecycle management and discovering the benefits of reselling and recycling.  "Overall, asset resale and recycling are key strategies for healthcare organizations looking to improve their bottom line, reduce waste and provide better care to...