As operating room efficiency, staffing costs and hospital subsidies face growing scrutiny, anesthesia departments are increasingly reevaluating their role in OR management.
A December 1 Coronis Health blog post examines why anesthesia-led OR scheduling may offer a strategic advantage for both facilities and providers.
Drawing on historical examples and modern financial pressures, it explores how anesthesiology leadership can drive efficiency, improve utilization and strengthen partnerships with hospital administration.
Here are three takeaways:
1. OR scheduling and operational performance
When Johns Hopkins anesthesiology leadership assumed control of OR scheduling in the early 1980s, the goal was clear: gain visibility into case data and block utilization to improve efficiency. By centralizing scheduling within the anesthesia department, leaders were able to monitor surgeon behavior, manage resources more effectively and create one of the most efficiently run OR suites at the time.
Decades later, similar models have reemerged, including anesthesia departments taking responsibility for full OR management teams. These examples highlight how unified oversight can align decision-making across clinical, operational and financial priorities.
2. Shared objectives
OR scheduling sits at the intersection of two organizational priorities. Surgical services and hospital administration focus on maximizing case volume and accommodating surgeon preferences, as each case represents revenue for the facility.
Anesthesia departments, however, face rising labor costs and increasing pressure to ensure clinical revenue covers the cost of care. As anesthesia subsidies continue to grow, controlling inefficiencies becomes critical. By taking an active role in OR management, anesthesia leaders can reduce wasted time, improve throughput and help mitigate the financial strain associated with staffing shortages and stipends.
3. Data enables efficiency
Anesthesia departments already control the most accurate case-level data, including time stamps, utilization metrics and billing information. This gives anesthesia a unique advantage in OR management by enabling:
- More accurate case duration estimates
- Improved block utilization and reduced idle time
- Stronger financial performance through leaner OR operations
With data as the foundation, anesthesia-led OR management can enhance collaboration with surgeons, strengthen alignment with hospital leadership and reinforce anesthesia’s value beyond clinical care.
As healthcare organizations look for sustainable operating models, anesthesia leadership in OR scheduling represents a data-driven opportunity to improve efficiency, reduce costs and create long-term value for all stakeholders.
