First Case Podcast

What do revenue models have to do with the profitability of your Operating Room? How is the changing landscape going to impact the bottom line of your hospitals today and into the future? From charge stickers on every item, to capitation rates and merit-based incentive pay, we're all experiencing a transformation in the payment structure of patient care even if we can't quite get our minds around...

In this week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series, written by Lindsey Joyce, MSN, RN, CNL, CNOR, she shares her experience scrubbing an open heart case for the very first time. "Repetition is the key to mastering any surgical specialty. The major portions of a CABG that require precise knowledge of steps is cannulation (going on the heart/lung machine) and doing anastomosis. You...

Did the Operating Room seem just a little overwhelming during orientation? Did you rethink your decision to come to the OR after experiencing how different it was from other departments? In today's interview with First Case Co-Host Melanie Perry, find out how she would answer those questions, and learn why, as an experienced nurse, she decided to make the move to the Operating Room. Join us today...

Surgeons need high-quality instruments that are dependable and guaranteed to work, every single time. But not all surgical instruments are created equal in terms of precision, durability, and quality. In today's First Case Vendor Spotlight, Dr. Mark Jewell, a recognized world leader in plastic surgery, shares his experiences using Stille instruments, which are exclusively distributed in the US by...

In between Seasons 10 and 11, we're re-releasing 4 exciting episodes from Season 5! Once our patients are intubated, what's going on inside their airway? Is it protected from drainage and secretions? On today's episode, we speak with anesthesiologist Dr. Benjamin Wang, MD, CMO and Founder of NeVap. We are going to learn about healthy airway design, how anesthetics and paralytics affect the airway,...

In this week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series, written by Paul Wafer, BS, MBA, RN, he shares 5 tips to get started controlling the inventory of the surgery department. "By standardizing our processes, our teams know where to look for supplies, and our materials management teams can more easily keep our shelves stocked. This has the added benefit of improving our efficiency a...

In between Seasons 10 and 11, we're re-releasing 4 exciting episodes from Season 5! What is moral injury? How does it apply to healthcare workers? How did the Covid-19 pandemic highlight this phenomenon? Helping us understand more about moral injury is Dr. Mike Rempel, DNP, RN, CNOR, education specialist, at University Hospital, Newark, NJ. If you haven't heard of moral injury, you're not alone! I...

What if there were an intuitive solution that could help prevent surgical fires and related patient burns? Would you have greater peace of mind if you knew that your patient and the surgical drapes could be protected from the heat generated by your light cables? Joining us in this special Fire Safety Week First Case Vendor Spotlight™ is Kamil Makhnejia, VP of Clinical Development at Jackson Medica...

In between Seasons 10 and 11, we're rereleasing 4 exciting episodes from Season 5! In this week's re-release, we're talking all things fire safety! We're familiar with fire safety drills, evacuation drills, and we've probably taken the same fire safety test (with the same answers) for a few years in a row. Today's interview with Kamil Makhnejia, VP of Clinical Development at Jackson Medical, remin...

In this week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series, written by Paul Wafer, BS, MBA, RN, he shares how we can increase overall room utilization in surgery.  "The ultimate goal of blocks is to improve the overall utilization of the OR by rewarding those physicians that consistently use their time. By taking a deeper look at how block time is released at your facility, and determini...

In between Seasons 10 and 11, we're rereleasing 4 exciting episodes from Season 5! How can the OR and SPD benefit from strong vendor relationships? How can our current vendor management process be improved? We're talking all things vendor management on today's episode of First Case with Jeff Wertz, Chief Commercial Officer at Sergio Health. Tune in as we discuss the current state of frustration fr...

It's no secret that onboarding new staff is a very resource-intensive process. Traditionally, new hires are at the mercy of their trainer's experience and competency level, and it can be challenging to ensure that every new surgical resident, surgical technician or OR circulator is receiving a thorough orientation. We need to be able to train our new employees consistently, thoroughly, and effecti...

In this special Bonus Episode, we talk to our very own Paul Wafer, BS, MBA, RN. Paul's 45 year career has spanned every position in healthcare, from orderly, to OR nurse, to CEO, and entrepreneur. Join us as we celebrate his contributions to the operating room, reflect on the mentors who shaped him throughout his career, and listen as he shares valuable lessons that he learned along the way. While...

In this week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series, written by Lindsey Joyce, MSN, RN, CNL, CNOR, she shares 5 tips to help new-to-the-OR, experienced nurses succeed in the operating room.   "Whatever the reason [the nurse came to the OR], we want to ensure they have a successful transition from their previous specialty to the peri-operative specialty." ---- Articles On-the-Go pr...

In this week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series, written by Paul Wafer, BS, MBA, RN, he discusses the many changes he has seen since 1977, and what he has learned in the process.  "So, this brings me back to the patient.  We get so wrapped up in meeting performance targets that the patient becomes an afterthought.  We have to strive for balance in achieving realistic goals wit...

In this week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series, written by Lindsey Joyce, MSN, RN, CNL, CNOR, she shares insight into how we can help new grads find success in the Operating Room.  "New grads in the OR will be one of the answers to the nursing shortage that's plaguing many institutions across the country. It's up to us to help them succeed so they want to stay in the OR for t...

"But I've got block time!" insisted the surgeon. "I'm sorry, but your block time was released yesterday and another surgeon has now posted cases in that spot," said the OR scheduler…. Sound familiar? We seem to have conversations like this frequently. How can we make sure that our policies around block time are well-defined and understood by everyone? How can correct block utilization affect produ...

In this week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series, written by Paul Wafer, BS, MBA, RN, he evaluates the Pre-Admission Testing department, and explains ways to improve efficiency.  "Finding ways to make it easier for the RNs in Pre-Admission Testing to collect information and improving efficiency within this department will reduce cost and esure that all patient information is av...

Can technology make you safer? How do we find the balance between natural and artificial intelligence and how do we collaborate between both of them? Helping us answer these questions today is Dr. Peter Kim, MD, pediatric surgeon and founder of Activ Surgical. Tune in to learn about the current state of surgery, why surgery needs to change, and how technology in the operating room makes surgery sa...

How many times have you been sent to look for items that have been recalled? How much time did you have to spend digging through bins, looking on shelves, or reading box labels? It can be a very time-consuming, frustrating process. On today's episode of First Case, we're talking all about medical device recalls with Guillermo Ramas, founder of Notisphere. We'll take a look at the current process f...

In this week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series, written by Paul Wafer, BS, MBA, RN, he discusses what factors should be considered when determining whether or not to allow a surgeon to flip rooms. "One of the most important variables is how many cases can be done in a day, and how consistent the surgeon is in bringing enough volume to fill a day." Tune in to hear more!  -----...

Have you ever heard, "I don't need to wear laser safety goggles, I'm wearing glasses," or, "If the surgeon isn't going to wear the goggles, I don't have to, either." While not always the best fashion statement, laser safety goggles are always the best choice for eye protection when lasers are being used during a procedure. But there's more to laser use and safety than just eye protection, although...

What's is like to leave a position in perioperative leadership and go back to working as an OR circulator?  If you ask Dr. Jessica Gruendler, DNP, RN-BC, CNOR, CPHQ, it's wonderful! Jessica began her career in the operating room as a surgical tech, earned her nursing degree, and spent the last 20 years in perioperative leadership positions. She recently stepped back into the role of a staff nurse,...

Should sterile fields be covered? What do the guidelines say? How can you cover them safely? Tune in to this exciting First Case Vendor Spotlight with Laurel Stebbins, Clinical Specialist at TIDI Products, to get the answers to these questions and more! Sterile-Z is the only product on the market designed specifically to cover the sterile field. In this exclusive interview, we discuss the common p...

When was the last time your surgical instrument tray "recipes" were revised? Was it when you added something new? What about when an instrument is removed? In this week's episode of the First Case "Articles On-The-Go" series, written by Paul Wafer, BS, MBA, RN, he discusses how our trays and count sheets should be optimized so that our trays are accurate and so that unused instruments are removed....