First Case Podcast

What happens when you combine collaboration, efficiency, and standardization in the OR with strategic relationships and data-driven decision-making? You have a success story of operational transformation! Join us in this First Case Vendor Spotlight™ with Randy Subramany, Director of Supply Chain at New York Presbyterian, as we uncover the process that revolutionized procedural supply management. N...

Welcome to the Season 15 premiere of First Case! We're kicking off this season with guest JD Buchert, and diving into the importance of understanding our patients beyond their procedures. In this episode, we explore the importance of seeing patients as individuals rather than just cases. Our conversation covers the role of culturally competent care, how personal experiences and backgrounds shape p...

On this episode 2 of the StreetClothes podcast, we talk to a well-known voice in the medical device space about bending strings and making his guitar "talk." If you're like many Americans, you've probably got a guitar in a closet somewhere. Some of you may even use your guitar as a much-needed tool to unwind your mind after a crazy day at the hospital. Whether you're a "picker" or a "grinner", if...

On this episode 1 of our brand new, human-interest "StreetClothes" podcast series, we talk to a clinician who moonlights as a personal chef in between his travel assignments. Don't listen to this interview on an empty stomach as the smell, taste, and passion for food is strong from beginning to end. But like any good recipe, even this story has a little twist — this personal chef isn't whipping up...

The AORN Expo is not just another conference—it's an immersive, high-energy event packed with education, networking, and hands-on learning opportunities! As thousands of perioperative professionals prepare to gather in historic Boston from April 5–8, 2025, making the most of this experience requires some strategic planning. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a seasoned Expo veteran, these ten...

Ever think about how clean your stethoscope really is? 🤔 On this  special release episode of First Case , we're teaming up with Transmission Control to tackle a hidden but serious infection risk— stethoscope hygiene ! Join us as we chat with Scott Mader, CEO & Founder of AseptiScope , about how stethoscopes can become overlooked vectors for infection and what we can do to fix it. Spoiler: You mig...

Season 14 is a wrap! And while we wait for Season 15, we're bringing you an audio version of an  interview we did with Stella Yau during Perioperative Nurses Week! In this interview, we're talking with Stella Yau about her experience as a perioperative nurse in the US Navy. As she tells her story, you'll hear about nursing school education in the United States, about the additional responsibilitie...

🚨 SEASON 14 FINALE! 🚨 What happens before a surgeon steps into the OR? How do we know they're actually qualified to perform a procedure? 🤔 In the Season 14 finale of #FirstCase, we're pulling back the curtain on credentialing and privileging with Nyleen Flores , Chief Administrative Officer at Lake Oconee Orthopedics. She's diving deep into the gatekeeping process that protects patient safety —...

Suture is something every OR professional encounters daily, yet many of us were never properly taught how much about them. Why is suture sizing so confusing? What's the difference between absorbable and non-absorbable sutures, and when should each be used? In this episode of First Case, we're diving deep into the world of suture, breaking down monofilament vs. multifilament options, discussing how...

Trendelenburg is a common position in the OR, but are we truly positioning patients safely? In this episode of First Case, we welcome back David Gomez, nurse anesthetist and CEO of Infinitus Medical, to uncover the risks, misconceptions, and best practices for safe Trendelenburg positioning. In today's episode we'll discuss: 🔹 Why degree and duration matter more than you think 🔹 The hidden dange...

Positioning patients in the OR isn't just about access to the surgical site—it's about preventing serious injuries . From nerve damage and tissue ischemia to long-term functional impairment , improper positioning can have devastating consequences. But with the right knowledge and attention to detail, many of these injuries are completely preventable . Tune in as Chris and Melanie break down the ri...

Are all of the PPE rules we have in the OR really necessary? Joining us this week to uncover the purpose behind the rules and guidelines is Jill Holdsworth, Infection Prevention Manager at Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta, Georgia. Tune in as Jill breaks down the basics of PPE and its critical role in the OR. We'll discuss common PPE items and unpack the reasons WHY our PPE is essentia...

How do we approach sterility and proper technique in ways that prioritize patient safety and best practices? And why does it matter? In today's episode, Chris and Melanie are diving into the nitty-gritty details of sterile technique — because in the Operating Room, there's no room for "good enough." Tune in to find out why as we discuss guidelines, best practices, and the common mistakes that have...

Is charting really that important? Joining us today to discuss the vital role that documentation plays in the operating room is Anna Gray, RNFA and Legal Nurse Consultant. From understanding what to document to exploring the connection between nurses' notes and surgeons' operative reports, Anna shares her expertise on why every detail matters.  Tune in to hear compelling courtroom examples where d...

Welcome to Season 14 of First Case! This season, we're tackling the question: "But, why?" Why do we do the things we do in the OR? From practices we swear by to those that might need to be retired, nothing is off-limits as we explore the reasoning—or lack thereof—behind our routines. In this season premier, Chris and Melanie dive into some of the most common OR habits, rules, and sacred cows, and...

While we wait for Season 14, we're bringing you an audio version of our Perioperative Nurses Week video interview series. Catch up on any interview you missed and travel around the world with us!  How would you like to get a post-graduate degree in Perioperative nursing? In Spain, you can! Today we're traveling to Spain to learn more about perioperative nursing and nursing education from Esther Es...

While we wait for Season 14, we're bringing you an audio version of our Perioperative Nurses Week video interview series. Catch up on any interview you missed and travel around the world with us!  Today we're traveling from S. Africa to California as we learn about perioperative nursing and nursing education from Andrew Veitch. Andrew has a great story to share with us, so tune in and learn what i...

𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 13 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘹𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 14! 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵, 𝘸𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘕𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘊𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘴! In this 4-week series we are travelling across the globe to hear from perioperative nurses worldwide. This week, we're traveling to New...

Season 13 has come to an end, and we're anxiously awaiting the launch of Season 14! While we wait, we're bringing you a series of interviews that we did to celebrate Perioperative Nurses Week.  In this 4-week series, we travelled across the globe to hear from perioperative nurses worldwide. In this first episode, we're speaking with Helen Evans and traveling across the pond to England! We'll learn...

Are you ready to dive into the details that make a difference? Join us for an exciting First Case Vendor Spotlight™ with Jenna Lindsay, Clinical Application Specialist, and Vinod Menon, Product Development Specialist, at Solventum (formerly 3M Health Care). We're unpacking everything you need to know about surgical skin prep and its crucial role in helping prevent surgical site infections (SSIs)....

Season 13 has come to an end, but we're not done bringing you exciting content! In this panel discussion hosted by Melanie Perry, we'll hear 3 different perspectives from Charge Nurses in three very different types of facilities. Our panel of experts includes:  📌Lisa Bailey: Ambulatory Surgery Center, Texas 📌Carlos Dillard: Critical Access Hospital, Rural Alabama 📌Andrew Withrow: Academic Medic...

What Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) should we be assessing and evaluating as we determine the success of our centralization efforts? Find out in this final episode of the Expert Series On-The-Go with Bryan Stuart!  💡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 t...

 We're combining education and relaxation in our final episode of Season 13! We're wrapping up our season with Zach Swartz, Perioperative Practice Specialist and Yoga Teacher. Tune in to learn more about how clinical guidelines are researched and developed, learn about the AORN Guideline for Tourniquet Safety, AND, learn more about incorporating yoga techniques into your day! Zach will even provid...

When you need a traveler, how confident are you that the person you're getting is truly qualified to fill the role? What if you could work with a staffing partner who had experienced OR and SPD professionals on staff who were truly able to determine the qualifications of the people coming into your department because they understand the role themselves? On this special First Case and Beyond Clean...

Technology can be a powerful tool in helping to achieve surgical instrument centralization success. Tune in to today's Expert Series On-The-Go with Bryan Stuart to find out more! 💡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 operat...