Full Conference Agenda
The 2026 OR Business Management Summit agenda was crafted by your peers, for you.
Our program committee has worked tirelessly to put together a program that captures the unique challenges and interests of business leaders in the OR. Use the menu on the left to filter sessions by topic, session type, and facility size—so you can create a personalized agenda that’s tailored to your role and your organization’s needs. Build business excellence at the 2026 OR Business Management Summit!
Sunday, February 8
Arriving early before the conference kicks off? Join us for the Super Bowl Watch Party and jump-start your networking! Enjoy great company, delicious food, and drinks while watching the big game with your peers. On top of it all, you can take to the (virtual) course at the Top Golf Swing Suite!
The Super Bowl begins at 5:30 pm CT. Meet us at the Austin Taco Project, located within the Hilton Austin!
Monday, February 9
Room: Salon F
ASC leaders are under constant pressure to strengthen performance while managing the financial complexities of today’s surgical landscape. This in-depth workshop is designed for ASC Administrators who want to sharpen their skills in revenue cycle management and take a more strategic approach to fiscal oversight. Participants will explore key components of effective revenue cycle management—including budgeting, profit and loss (P&L) analysis, authorization, coding, billing, accounting best practices, and strategies to support long-term business growth. Whether you're looking to build a stronger financial foundation or drive greater profitability, this workshop will equip you with the knowledge and tools to better manage your ASC’s financial success.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe key components of ASC revenue cycle management.
- Analyze financial reports and P&L statements to inform strategic decisions.
- Identify tactics to support long-term ASC business growth and profitability.
Room: Salon G
Strong OR business management is the backbone of smooth, efficient, and cost-effective surgical operations. This foundational training is designed for new perioperative business leaders and focuses on the core elements of successful OR management: Effective resource allocation, fostering teamwork, advancing quality and safety, and practicing sound financial stewardship. Join us for this deep-dive 101 session to kick-start your conference week and prepare you for the topics and discussions you’ll have with your peers.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify core principles of effective perioperative business management.
- Explain strategies for resource allocation, teamwork, and financial stewardship in the OR.
- Recognize tools and metrics used to advance quality, safety, and operational efficiency.
As the name suggests, the OR Business Management Summit reverse expo flips the traditional expo format – the vendors come to you for one-on-one meetings! We understand your time at the conference is valuable, and you need to make the most of your time finding the suppliers that fulfill your needs. If you seek products and services for your facility, the reverse expo is the perfect solution to maximize your time at the Summit by allowing you to swiftly determine whether the vendor is the right fit for your organization.r
Room: Austin Grand Ballroom Foyer
Room: Salon H
Artificial Intelligence is reshaping healthcare by enhancing clinical decision-making, streamlining workflows, and driving operational efficiency. This keynote explores how AI can optimize resources, reduce delays, and improve patient outcomes when time is critical.
Room: Salon F
Ambulatory surgery centers face mounting pressure to do more with less. In this session, discover how AI is helping ASCs uncover hidden revenue opportunities and control costs without sacrificing quality. Explore practical, data-driven strategies to streamline workflows, reduce supply variability, and strengthen financial performance. Learn how leading ASCs are leveraging AI to make smarter operational decisions, improve efficiency, and maximize perioperative margins in today’s competitive outpatient market.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify how AI can uncover hidden cost-saving and revenue opportunities in ASC operations.
- Explore strategies to streamline workflows and reduce supply variability using data-driven insights.
- Apply best practices from leading ASCs to strengthen financial performance without compromising quality.
Room: Salon G
Yessenia Salgado, DNP-ENL, RN, NE-BC, CNOR, Senior Director of Clinical Operations, Surgical & Procedural Services, Tampa General Hospital
A High Reliability Organization (HRO) operates in complex, high-risk environments where even small errors can have serious consequences—yet these organizations consistently maintain exceptionally low rates of failure. This session will explore the five core principles of HROs and how to apply them both within your team culture and when designing or renovating your OR to optimize performance and safety.
Learning Objectives:
- Define the five core principles of High Reliability Organizations.
- Illustrate how HRO principles influence OR team culture and safety.
- Explore how to integrate HRO concepts into OR design and renovation projects.
Room: Salon H
Alyssa Ferrer, Senior Director of Operations, Northwell Health
As surgical volumes grow and demand for complex instrumentation increases, large health systems must rethink how they manage sterile processing. This session highlights how a major health system in the Northeastern U.S. successfully optimized its centralized offsite reprocessing center by developing a network of small hospital SPD hubs. This innovative model enabled the organization to expand surgical programs, accommodate new surgeons, and improve instrument turnaround—without overburdening a single location. Attendees will learn how this approach supports OR efficiency, reduces the risk of case delays, enhances staffing agility, and lays a strong foundation for long-term growth.
Learning Objectives:
- Explain how SPD hub models support OR efficiency and scalability.
- Identify benefits of decentralized SPD hubs for instrument turnaround and staffing.
- Discuss strategies for implementing a multi-hub SPD model in large health systems.
Room: Salon H
Emily Tchiblakian, MHA, BSN, RN, Vice President Perioperative Service Lines, Sentara Health
Geoffrey Howard, MBA, Technical Director, High-Level Disinfection & Sterilization, Massachusetts General Hospital
Chris Hunt, MBA, MSHA, BSN, RN, CSSM, NEA-BC, Associate Vice President, Perioperative Services, MultiCare Health System
In today’s surgical environment, data is more than just numbers—it’s the foundation for smarter decision-making that drives both operational excellence and financial sustainability. Hear from experts on how to harness data to uncover inefficiencies, optimize workflows, and improve bottom-line performance. Learn how to translate key performance indicators (KPIs) such as room utilization, case delays, turnover time, supply usage, and staffing productivity into actionable insights. Whether you're building your first dashboard or refining an established analytics strategy, this session will equip you with practical tools to lead data-informed change in your OR.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify essential KPIs for operational analysis and improvement.
- Interpret data dashboards to uncover workflow inefficiencies.
- Apply data-driven insights to enhance OR financial performance and efficiency.
Room: Salon G
Hear from one medical center on how they achieved a 90% same-day discharge rate for total hips and knees by standardizing care and relocating their joint program to a boutique offsite hospital.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe care pathways supporting same-day discharge in joint replacement.
- Identify benefits of relocating joint programs to dedicated facilities.
- Discuss strategies to achieve high same-day discharge rates for total joints.
Room: Salon F
In today’s high-stakes healthcare environment, Ambulatory Surgery Centers must go beyond basic compliance to thrive financially and operationally. This session explores how credentialing and peer review systems—when done right—are not just regulatory requirements, but powerful tools for financial protection and growth. Learn how effective provider vetting and performance evaluation safeguard against costly claims, minimize risk exposure, improve payer relationships, and contribute to positive surgical outcomes that drive reimbursement and reputation.
Attendees will gain a practical understanding of how regulatory compliance, credentialing, and peer review intersect to impact ASC profitability by enhancing quality, accountability, and strategic decision-making.
Learning Objectives:
- Define how credentialing and privileging contribute to quality management and cost containment in the ASC setting.
- Explain how peer review and compliance systems reduce liability and increase operational efficiency.
- Identify practical steps for implementing credentialing and peer review practices that improve both patient safety and the ASC’s financial bottom line.
Room: Salon G
Learning Objectives:
- Reframe service line / surgical expansion around stability and reliability
- Identify common failure points and discuss mitigation strategies
- Evaluate risk to reward ratios by service line
- Understand how to effectively lead through potential expansion at a highly specific facility
Having issues or troubles with your Epic system, or looking for new opportunities to derive value from the platform? Get your questions answered straight from the source on issues like OR block allocation, surgeon clinic engagement, preference card optimization, patient engagement, embedded AI and much more!
Room: Salon H
Bring your questions as we evaluate ROI, feasibility, reimbursement, and volume projections to help you make informed decisions about adding new procedures or service lines to ensure an accurate business plan and net positive revenue.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify key factors for evaluating ROI and feasibility of new service lines.
- Interpret volume projections and reimbursement data to inform business plans.
- Develop a framework for creating a financially sustainable business case.
Room: Salon H
Janet Carlson, MSN, BSN, RN, NE-BC, FACHE, Co-founder and CEO, Vertex Surgical Solutions
This expert-led bootcamp tackles the challenge of inaccurate capital inventory in ASCs and its impact on planning and asset management. Bring a specific capital inventory or depreciation problem you want to solve. Experts will work with you to address your challenges and develop practical solutions tailored to your ASC’s needs.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify common gaps and inaccuracies in ASC capital inventories.
- Apply strategies for improving asset tracking and depreciation management.
- Develop tailored solutions for your ASC’s capital planning challenges.
Room: Salon H
Posters convey a process on improving operations, financial performance, KPIs, data analytics and other operational efficiencies that will be shared in conversation with attendees during the networking breaks.
Tuesday, February 10
Room: Salon H
Healthcare leaders are being held accountable for outcomes they cannot see, govern, or influence in real time; despite having more data, dashboards, and technology than ever before. This isn't a failure of effort; it's a structural problem. In this session, Dr. Jake Tayler Jacobs, COO of SIPS Healthcare Solutions, introduces Operational Blindness™; a framework for understanding why complexity has outpaced visibility, and what other industries have done to solve it. Attendees will learn why legacy systems optimized for documentation can't support modern operational governance, how siloed optimization creates system-wide dysfunction, and what architectural shifts are required to move from reactive firefighting to predictive leadership.
Learning Objectives:
- Recognize why leadership feels harder despite having more data than ever.
- Identify structural causes of visibility gaps that training and staffing can't fix.
- Differentiate between reporting systems and governance systems.
- Identify what modern operational architecture actually requires.
Room: Salon G
Topics for discussion:
- Clinically necessary or nice to have? What criteria do you use to determine if a product request is essential for patient care or driven by provider preference?
- Building a case: clinicians vs finance: How can clinical teams and finance work together to make data-driven purchasing decisions?
- Developing a standardized evaluation process: Do you have a formal process for reviewing new product requests? What does it look like, and who’s involved?
- ROI in clinical decision-making: How do you measure the return on investment (ROI) for new equipment or supplies in the OR?
- Managing conflict around product denials: What’s your approach when denying a clinical request due to cost? How do you maintain trust and collaboration?
- Lessons learned from high-cost purchases: Share examples of costly product decisions that paid off—or didn’t. What insights did your team gain?
Peer-to-Peer roundtables are a "give-and-take" conversation among peers. Everyone contributes to the discussion. Peer roundtables are moderated by a member of the program committee. The moderator introduces the topics for discussion, ensuring everyone contributes.
Room: Salon F
Operating a single-specialty ASC, or thinking of establishing one? Chat with your peers about operational best practices by specialty, explore the unique workflows of different service lines, and get a better handle on patient expectations and reimbursement issues surrounding a given specialty.
Peer-to-Peer roundtables are a "give-and-take" conversation among peers. Everyone contributes to the discussion. Peer roundtables are moderated by a member of the program committee. The moderator introduces the topics for discussion, ensuring everyone contributes.
Room: Salon H
Get ready to crunch the numbers together on best practices for vendor negotiations, how to leverage GPO contracts effectively, comparative pricing tools and tactics, balancing cost with quality in product selection, cost-saving alternatives for your ORs and more.
Peer-to-Peer roundtables are a "give-and-take" conversation among peers. Everyone contributes to the discussion. Peer roundtables are moderated by a member of the program committee. The moderator introduces the topics for discussion, ensuring everyone contributes.
Room: Salon F
Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) is a minimally invasive, high-value procedure ideal for ASCs. Performed by orthopedic surgeons, it offers fast throughput, low recovery time, and minimal complications. With growing demand for non-opioid pain relief, PNS is a profitable service line that improves outcomes and boosts ASC financial performance.
Learning Objectives:
- Explain the clinical benefits of Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) in providing effective, non-opioid pain relief for ASC patients.
- Identify operational strategies for integrating PNS into ASC workflows to support fast throughput and minimal recovery time.
- Evaluate the financial impact of PNS as a service line, including its potential to enhance revenue and improve overall ASC performance.
Room: Salon G
Surgeons are frequently asked to practice at multiple locations, each with distinct teams, workflows, and resources. To address the challenges of variability and knowledge gaps, one community hospital implemented a standardized surgeon onboarding program designed to streamline orientation, enhance efficiency, and align expectations across the enterprise. This structured approach ensures clarity around supply and instrument usage, scheduling practices, and cultural norms, while also reinforcing system-wide protocols and compliance.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify challenges surgeons face when working across multiple campuses.
- Describe standardized onboarding processes that reduce variability and confusion.
- Explore how unified onboarding fosters efficiency and compliance.
Room: Salon H
Hear from one system on their steps to reorganization efforts for surgical services—moving orthopedics to a new ASC, consolidating endoscopy into a dedicated unit, shifting basic robotic cases, and optimizing the main OR for complex surgeries. By aligning case types with the right spaces, they significantly expanded capacity, revealed hidden inefficiencies, and achieved it all within budget.
Learning Objectives:
- Explain how aligning case types to specific settings improves efficiency.
- Identify steps for reorganizing surgical services without increasing costs.
- Discuss practical examples of reallocating surgical cases to expand capacity.
Room: Salon H
Amber Wirkus, MSN, RN, NE-BC, Vice Chair of Nursing, Surgical Services, Mayo Clinic
To improve efficiency and coordination across surgical services, a large academic medical center launched The Surgical Nexus, a centralized, multidisciplinary command center. Piloted in May 2025, it uses predictive analytics, real-time case oversight, daily debriefs, and rapid escalation pathways to enhance surgical operations. Early feedback suggests better communication and operational clarity, with full results pending. This session will highlight key strategies, milestones, and lessons learned from this innovative approach to surgical management.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the purpose and functions of The Surgical Nexus command center.
- Identify how predictive analytics and real-time oversight improve OR coordination.
- Discuss early lessons and results from centralized surgical management efforts.
Room: Salon F
Earl Kilbride, MD, MHA, Orthopedic Surgeon, Austin Orthopedic Institute
Following the foundational presentation on the financial and clinical value of Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS), this 30-minute discussion features an experienced ASC leader sharing real-world insights on implementing PNS in the ambulatory setting. Topics will include best practices for adoption, operational workflows, patient selection, and reimbursement strategies. Attendees will gain practical takeaways on maximizing the profitability and patient benefits of PNS in the ambulatory surgery center environment.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify key operational workflows for integrating PNS in ASCs.
- Discuss best practices for patient selection and reimbursement.
- Apply practical insights for maximizing PNS profitability and patient outcomes.
Room: Salon G
Dorothy Starostecki, MSN, RN, MBA, CNOR, Associate Chief Clinical Operations Officer for Perioperative Services, University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics
Hear from one organization how they optimized OR block utilization by establishing a review process centered around data. Discover how building strong relationships with stakeholders—such as schedulers, surgeons, and clinic managers—enabled them to build trust. They will share their journey on how governance, a data-driven process, and relationship building with service line leaders has supported a 5-10% volume increase year over year and continues to improve access to the OR.
Learning Objectives:
- Explain the importance of data-driven processes in block utilization reviews.
- Discuss how relationship-building with stakeholders supports OR access.
- Identify practical outcomes from optimizing OR block allocation.
Room: Salon G
Matt Rechin, Chief Customer Success Officer, ReadySet Surgical
When documentation in the OR isn’t accurate, the risks extend well beyond billing headaches. Inaccurate implant charting and missing item master data create compliance exposure, drive off-contract spend, and erode margin while pulling clinicians away from patient care. In this session we’ll unpack where bill-only and implant workflows break down, show how “close-enough charting” evolves into denied POs, credit holds, and clinical risk, and share what perioperative leaders are asking from technology and vendor partners. You'll hear how ReadySet clients are deploying pragmatic fixes - cleaner item data, closed-loop case workflows, and automation that prevents exceptions before they reach AP - so you can provide OR teams the tools they need to stay focused on patients, not on billing.
Spotlight Sessions share innovations in technology, AI, automation and other solutions to improve operational efficiencies and profitability of the OR.
- Identify the most common perioperative documentation gaps and explain how they create serious downstream patient safety, compliance, and margin risks.
- Understand how status-quo workflows across several hospital departments are leading to these gaps and what hospital leaders are looking for in a solution.
- Learn how other health systems are utilizing ReadySet Bill-Only technology to reduce costs, improve patient documentation, and save time for OR staff.
Room: Salon H
Shannon Holley, MSN, RN, CNOR, NE-BC, RNFA, Vice President of Surgical Services Operations, ProMedica Health System
Thadius Wadsworth, MBA, BSN, RN, Chief Operating Officer, Acute Care Division, ProMedica Health System
Amy Brown, MHA, Director of Customer Delivery, AssistIQ
Spotlight Sessions share innovations in technology, AI, automation and other solutions to improve operational efficiencies and profitability of the OR.
Room: Salon H
Megan Eubanks, MBA, Senior Director of Business Operations, Perioperative and Procedural Services, The University of Kansas Health System
Ben Hall, MBA, MHA, MHCDS, Executive Director, Perioperative Services, University of Iowa Health Care
This panel brings together perioperative leaders from two leading academic medical centers—each at different points in their digital transformation journeys—to share how they are modernizing surgical operations with data-driven approaches.
Megan Eubanks, MBA, Senior Director of Business Operations, Perioperative and Procedural Services at The University of Kansas Health System, represents a mature customer who has fully embedded LeanTaaS iQueue into daily workflows. She will share how The University of Kansas Health System sharpened every phase of surgical operations, established scalable standards, and created a compelling counter-narrative to Epic-only strategies.
Ben Hall, MBA, MHA, MHCDS, Executive Director - Perioperative Services at the University of Iowa Health Care, offers the perspective of a newer customer experiencing early wins with iQueue’s Daily Roster and Anesthesia Staffing modules. His team has already streamlined processes, eliminated paper workflows, and unlocked early visibility and accountability.
Together, they will discuss how data, forecasting, and operational intelligence are enabling both organizations to maximize existing OR resources, expand access, and drive meaningful efficiency gains—while navigating the cultural and structural complexities unique to academic medical centers. Attendees will leave with a sense of the art of the possible and what it takes to leverage technology to address barriers head on that are capacity limiting.
- Data-Driven Transformation: Understand how both systems leveraged iQueue analytics to uncover hidden OR capacity—even at already high utilization.
- From Tool to Culture: Learn how digital tools evolve from “a system we use” to “how we operate.” The University of Kansas Health System will share how embedding iQueue into policies, standards, and daily routines transformed their perioperative culture and drove long-term sustainability.
- Beyond Epic-Only Thinking: Hear how specialized operational tools complement EHR capabilities by providing predictive, actionable guidance on what to do next—a key differentiator that helped The University of Kansas Health System achieve operational excellence alongside their Epic implementation.
Room: Salon H
Posters convey a process on improving operations, financial performance, KPIs, data analytics and other operational efficiencies that will be shared in conversation with attendees during the networking breaks.
Room: Salon F
This session explores the evolving landscape of ASC joint ventures, sparking debate around physician-owned vs. hospital-owned models. Hear from industry leaders as they unpack the realities of ASC joint ventures—offering fresh insights on control, profitability, alignment, and long-term strategy—highlighting key opportunities shaping the future of ASC partnerships.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify differences between physician-owned and hospital-owned ASC models.
- Discuss key considerations around governance, control, and profitability.
- Evaluate partnership strategies to align interests and drive long-term success.
Room: Salon H
Natalie Bright, MBA, MSN, RN, CNOR, Director, OR Operations, Cleveland Clinic
Historically the surgical scheduler’s role may have been viewed predominantly as a data entry role with little ability to impact operations. However, as single hospitals grew into larger healthcare systems, the surgical scheduler’s role is no longer transactional and must be looked at in a new way. Hear from one team about their journey to work with local leaders at 18 different hospitals and ASCs to create one unified team that increased surgical volume by more than 15,000 cases in 2 years.
Learning Objectives:
- Explain how the role of surgical schedulers has evolved in modern health systems.
- Identify strategies for engaging schedulers to drive surgical volume growth.
- Discuss practical lessons from building unified scheduling teams across facilities.
Room: Salon G
Jennifer Jump, DNP, MSN, MBA, BSN, RN, NE-BC, CNOR, CRNFA-E, Director Perioperative Services, St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Christy Taylor, MBA, Director, Business Operations- Periop, Phoenix Children's Hospital
Labor is one of the highest costs in the OR—making smart staffing strategies essential.
In this panel, speakers will share real-world examples and practical approaches for optimizing labor efficiency and aligning staffing with surgical volume.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify factors influencing OR staffing efficiency and labor costs.
- Discuss methods for matching staffing levels to fluctuating surgical demand.
- Explore real-world examples of implementing flexible staffing models.
Room: Salon H
Bring your toughest questions to get expert guidance on building a De Novo, exiting a management contract, or other joint venture challenges.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify key structural models for ASC joint ventures.
- Discuss considerations for entering or exiting management contracts.
- Apply expert guidance to navigate complex joint venture negotiations.
Room: Salon H
Jennifer Jump, DNP, MSN, MBA, BSN, RN, NE-BC, CNOR, CRNFA-E, Director Perioperative Services, St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Labor costs are among the largest expenses in the OR. Bring your most pressing staffing challenge and KPI goals for expert advice on improving productivity and financial performance.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify critical KPIs for measuring OR staffing performance.
- Analyze common staffing challenges and their financial impacts.
- Apply practical solutions to enhance staffing efficiency and productivity.
Room: Salon H
Trying to drive more volume to your OR? Benchmark your approach and ask your questions about building communication channels with clinics to understand workflows that boost team collaboration and OR volume. Discover strategies for aligning case scheduling with seamless care delivery.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify barriers to effective communication between clinics and OR teams.
- Discuss strategies for aligning scheduling workflows and patient handoffs.
- Explore practical approaches for boosting OR volume through clinic partnerships.
Private equity and other investors are rapidly reshaping the business of surgery, influencing everything from ASC valuations and governance to physician alignment and long-term growth strategies. This session equips the full spectrum of perioperative leaders with a clear-eyed view of how investor partnerships work in practice — highlighting the operational, financial and strategic trade-offs that matter most when evaluating capital partners.
For some added fun outside the Summit, you can add a ticket for the Off-the-Clock event! Kick up your heels at Electric Shuffle—a bar and restaurant that has taken the classic game of shuffle board and given it a high-tech twist! Enjoy craft cocktails, incredible food, and some friendly competition.
Date: Tuesday, February 10, 5:30PM-8:00PM
Location: Electric Shuffle, 91 Red River St STE 102, Austin, TX 78701
*Separate ticket required, or ticket included with Premier Pass.
Wednesday, February 11
Room: Salon F
Sit at the roundtable to get insight on how to sit at the negotiating table! Discuss how to prepare for payor negotiations with data, balance cost control and clinical needs in supplier agreements, navigate reimbursement challenges, bundled payments and value-based contracting, gain leverage through vendor consolidation, and avoid pitfalls in long-term contract commitments.
Peer-to-Peer roundtables are a "give-and-take" conversation among peers. Everyone contributes to the discussion. Peer roundtables are moderated by a member of the program committee. The moderator introduces the topics for discussion, ensuring everyone contributes.
Room: Salon H
Solve one of the most persistent challenges in surgery together! Learn from and engage your peers on how to better tackle preference card clean-up projects, engage surgeons and staff in standardization efforts, balance custom and standardized cards, reduce waste through accuracy, measure ROI of preference card optimization and more.
Peer-to-Peer roundtables are a "give-and-take" conversation among peers. Everyone contributes to the discussion. Peer roundtables are moderated by a member of the program committee. The moderator introduces the topics for discussion, ensuring everyone contributes.
Room: Salon G
Here’s another persistent problem in surgery that you can tackle with your peers. Discuss the drivers behind cancellations, and learn how to better handle communication with schedulers and clinics, track trends and patterns, overcome patient readiness issues, and target interventions that work.
Peer-to-Peer roundtables are a "give-and-take" conversation among peers. Everyone contributes to the discussion. Peer roundtables are moderated by a member of the program committee. The moderator introduces the topics for discussion, ensuring everyone contributes.
Room: Salon H
Spotlight Sessions share innovations in technology, AI, automation and other solutions to improve operational efficiencies and profitability of the OR.
Room: Salon H
Every day seems to bring news of change for the OR. There have been so many legislative changes in the last year or two that it’s gotten to the point where most perioperative leaders are overwhelmed and confused. This presentation tries to make sense of many of the changes that affect perioperative leaders at the federal level. Changes in reimbursement, changing requirements, and impacts of legislative changes will be discussed and analyzed, along with some effective strategies leaders can implement today to mitigate the risks or amplify the benefits.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify major federal and state legislative/regulatory changes from the last two years impacting ORs and ASCs
- Understand how these changes affect perioperative operations, staffing, and financial performance
- Translate policy changes into practical leadership and operational actions
Room: Salon H
Sterile Processing is at an inflection point. Rising surgical volumes, persistent staffing shortages, and increasing regulatory and clinical complexity are pushing departments to rethink how work gets done. Automation and robotics are rapidly entering the sterile processing environment - but without intelligence, automation alone is just movement.
This session explores the future state of Sterile Processing through the lens of automation, robotics, and digital orchestration. Attendees will learn how instrument tracking and workflow intelligence serve as the backbone that connects automated equipment, robotics, and hospital systems - enabling predictable delivery, prioritized work, and scalable operations. Drawing on real-world implementations, this session will focus on practical architecture, integration considerations, and what it truly takes to move from isolated automation to an intelligent, connected sterile processing ecosystem.
Learning Objectives
- Explain the role of instrument tracking as the foundational intelligence layer that enables effective automation and robotics in Sterile Processing.
- Identify key workflow and integration requirements necessary to move from point automation to a fully orchestrated, end-to-end sterile processing operation.
- Evaluate how automation and digital intelligence can support staffing resilience, operational predictability, and on-time surgical delivery in modern healthcare environments.
Close out the conference with a sweet send-off! Enjoy desserts with your peers and celebrate our prize winners as we wrap up a great week together.