7:15am – 8:00am
Conference Registration & Networking Breakfast

8:00am – 8:15am
Chairperson's Opening Remarks

8:15am – 9:00am
Building Zero-Harm Perioperative Environments: Evidence-Based Safety Initiatives
Patient safety programs improve outcomes through standardized protocols, enhanced communication and predictive risk assessment. This session explores evidence-based approaches to implementing zero-harm initiatives, including safety checklists, team huddles and real-time error reporting systems. Learn how to integrate safety measures into daily workflows while engaging frontline staff in continuous improvement that prevents adverse events and enhances patient care quality.

Geri Eaves, BSN, RN, CASC, CNOR
Administrator
The Bone and Joint Institute of Tn Surgery Center

9:00am – 9:45am
Financial Modeling and ROI Analysis for Perioperative Capital Investments
Perioperative departments face constant pressure to invest in new technologies, equipment and facilities, yet traditional capital budgeting processes often fail to capture the full financial impact of these decisions across the extended perioperative journey. This session provides advanced frameworks for evaluating perioperative investments that account for indirect benefits like improved patient flow, reduced complications and enhanced physician satisfaction that drives case volume growth. Learn to build compelling business cases that demonstrate ROI through multiple value streams including:

• Direct cost savings from improved efficiency and reduced waste
• Revenue enhancement through increased capacity and case complexity
• Risk mitigation benefits from improved safety and quality outcomes
  • Strategic value from competitive positioning and market differentiation
• Long-term benefits from physician retention and recruitment advantages 

Rebecca McKenzie
Enterprise AVP -Perioperative Services
University of Kentucky Healthcare

9:45am – 10:15am
Networking & Refreshments Break

10:15am – 11:00am
SISO: Methodology for Surgical Instrument Set Optimization
Sterile Processing Departments across the country are overburdened, providing large quantities of instrumentation that go unused by the operating surgeon. Clinicians are frustrated, spending precious Operating Room time resolving issues around instrumentation. This can lead to distrust, conflict, and burnout between SPD and clinicians alike.

MGH Department of Central Sterile Processing & Supply enacted the Surgical Instrument Set Optimization (SISO) Team in early 2020 to tackle the issue of instrument set waste. The team consists of 1 Project Manager, 1 Clinical Liaison, and 2 Project Specialists under the CSPS umbrella.

The SISO Team works to collect instrument usage data via OR observation. The data is used to guide the creation of new streamlined instrument sets. However, data is not the sole focus of the methodology; clinical collaboration is an important factor. The clinical liaison is trusted by Nursing, as the hire was a transfer from their own team. The clinical liaison is one of the most valuable resources CSPS has related to driving meaningful change.

Leveraging instrument usage data against clinical collaboration has eliminated significant amounts of waste from surgical instrument sets.

Ashley Vieira, MPP
Senior Program Manager
Central Sterile Processing and Supply (CSPS)
Massachusetts General Hospital

11:00am – 11:45am
Mastering the Perioperative Workforce Crisis: Innovative Recruitment and Retention Strategies
The nationwide shortage of perioperative professionals has created a perfect storm of rising labor costs, increased turnover and operational inefficiencies that threaten the financial viability of surgical programs. Smart administrators are responding with creative solutions that go far beyond traditional recruitment methods. Discover how successful perioperative programs are using:

• Flexible scheduling models that attract top talent while maintaining coverage
• Cross-training initiatives that create versatile teams and career advancement opportunities
  • Technology-enabled remote work options for perioperative coordination and education roles
• Partnership programs with nursing schools and technical colleges to build talent pipelines
• Innovative compensation structures that reward performance and longevity

Elizabeth Menschner, DNP, MAS, MSN, RN, NEA-BC
Chief Executive Officer
Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Leaders 

11:45am – 12:30pm 
Right tools, Right Time: The Impact of Preference Cards on Surgical Efficiency and Cost Reduction
Inaccurate and outdated preference cards create significant inefficiencies in perioperative operations, contributing to unnecessary waste, staff frustration and compromised patient safety. With surgical supplies accounting for 5% to 10% of total operating room expenses, optimizing preference card management represents a substantial opportunity for cost savings and operational improvement. This session demonstrates how one healthcare system achieved a 21% reduction in pick list costs and potential savings of $1M per facility through a data-driven approach to preference card optimization. Learn how to implement a standardized process for preference card maintenance using automated tools informed by surgical case log data and Power BI analytics. Discover proven strategies for prioritizing preference card reviews, engaging surgical teams in the improvement process and sustaining long-term gains. Attendees will gain actionable insights on leveraging artificial intelligence to inform preference card updates, reducing labor hours associated with unnecessary returns and improving overall surgical preparation accuracy and efficiency. 

12:30pm – 1:30pm
Lunch Break

1:30pm – 2:15pm
Stress is Not Sustainable – Dealing with Today’s Burnout Reality
Employees are an organization’s greatest asset.  Investing in their health and wellness is integral to employee engagement and is imperative to a successful patient experience. The organization’s ability to empower the employee and partner with them in all recognition and improvement efforts are critical.  Hear how creating an organizational culture of wellness will positively impact the organization, improve the employee experience, and ultimately increase customer satisfaction.

 Key Take-Aways:

- Fresh perspective on understanding the connection between employee and customer experience

- Insights on employee engagement, wellness and emotional support

- Framework to optimize wellness through effective communication, empathy and compassion

- Techniques to empower the voice of the employee

- Best practices to create powerful relationships between leadership and the workforce.

David Weisman, Ph.D., CPXP, FPCC 
Chief Experience Officer
NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens

2:15pm – 3:15pm
Panel: Building Resilient Perioperative Programs: Leadership Strategies for Navigating Today's Challenges
The modern perioperative environment faces unprecedented challenges from workforce shortages, supply chain disruptions, evolving patient expectations and financial pressures. This dynamic panel brings together experienced leaders from diverse perioperative settings to share their approaches to overcoming current industry challenges and positioning their programs for long-term success. Panelists will explore key resilience factors including workforce development and retention strategies, financial sustainability approaches, technology adoption, patient experience differentiation and organizational culture transformation. The discussion will cover real-world examples of how leading perioperative programs have successfully navigated crises and created sustainable competitive advantages. Attendees will gain actionable insights on building adaptable teams, fostering innovation and developing the leadership capabilities needed to thrive in an increasingly complex healthcare environment. 

Panelists:

Sheila Aaker Thompson, RN, BS
Chief Operating Officer
Twin Cities Pain Clinic & Surgery Center

Candy Ranshaw, BSN, RN, CNAMB
Chest Pain Coordinator
Steward Health

David Weisman, Ph.D., CPXP, FPCC
Chief Experience Officer
NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens

3:15pm – 3:45pm
Networking & Refreshments Break

3:45pm – 4:30pm
Block Scheduling Revolution: Maximizing OR Utilization and Surgeon Satisfaction Through Advanced Operating Room Management
Traditional block scheduling models are giving way to dynamic, data-driven approaches that balance surgeon preferences with optimal resource utilization, creating win-win scenarios that improve both financial performance and physician relationships. Modern perioperative leaders are using sophisticated analytics to right-size block allocations based on actual utilization patterns rather than historical precedent or political considerations, as well as implementing dynamic OR-release policies based on services’ scheduling pattern. This session reveals the strategies and technologies that enable these transformations, including real-time utilization monitoring, automated block reallocation release protocols and incentive structures that reward efficient use of OR time. You'll learn how to implement these changes while maintaining surgeon buy-in and avoiding the political pitfalls that often derail scheduling reforms, with emphasis on proven operating room management methodologies. 

Vikram Tiwari, Ph.D.
Professor of Anesthesiology, Biomedical Informatics, Biostatistics, and Management
Senior Director, Surgical Analytics
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

4:30pm – 5:15pm
Advanced Turnover Time Optimization: Beyond Traditional Metrics to True Efficiency

Sundeep G. Keswani, MD
Chief of Pediatric Surgery and Associate Surgeon-in-Chief
Texas Children’s Hospital

5:15pm
End of Day One