FEATURE While great spine surgeons can


do wonders for a spine program, they can only carry it so far on their own, says Karen Reiter, RN, CASC, chief executive officer of Disc Surgery Center at Newport Beach in New- port Beach, California. “You need to surround them with the right people. That requires spending time finding and hiring candidates with strong pro- fessional backgrounds who fit with your culture.”


Brkaric emphasizes the importance of proper training for clinical


staff. Build a Successful Spine Surgery Team


Rely on strong surgeon leaders and carefully trained staff BY ROBERT KURTZ


U


nity Surgical Center in Lafayette, Indiana, opened in 2001, with its


spine surgery program already in place. That program continues to thrive, says spine surgeon Mario Brkaric, MD, who joined the ASC in 2006. The key to its success, he adds, is its team. “We want to deliver an experience


that differs from a hospital, where patients can feel more like a number,” Brkaric says. “From the beginning to the end of their time here, patients are made to feel special and understand that meeting their needs matters most to us.”


That approach also is the driving force in the success of the spine pro- gram at Cascade Outpatient Surgery Center in Bellingham, Washington, says the ASC’s Executive Director Tom Flory. “Everyone in the organi- zation does their job well and is open to helping their colleagues. Making


18 ASC FOCUS MAY 2020 | ascfocus.org


excellent patient care the primary goal is paramount. It is not only the rea- son for building an ASC. It also gives everyone a common goal to continu- ously work toward.”


Success Starts at the Top While Brkaric praises Unity’s staff, Tami Robinson, RN, the ASC’s administrator and director of nurs- ing, is quick to point out that the roles filled by Brkaric and John Gorup, MD, Unity’s other spine surgeon, should not be downplayed. “They are the foundation for our spine program,” Robinson says. “A team will only go as far as its sur- geons will take them. You need sur- geons who truly believe that the ASC is the best site for their patients to undergo these procedures. That buy- in into the ASC model is what sets the tone for the staff.”


“They need to be completely famil- iar with all of the instrumentation and equipment, the care and importance of patient positioning and everything we must do to address patient safety issues. There is so much to it, and nothing can be missed if we want to ensure a good outcome.” If they present themselves, take


advantage of opportunities to bring aboard clinical staff with built-in familiarity, Robinson advises. “We were fortunate to hire certified surgi- cal technologists who worked with our surgeons at the hospital. This comfort level, together with their strong spine experience, was a gift.” At Cascade, the nurse administra- tor and nurse manager work closely to assure clinical team members remain attentive to every detail and put a pri- ority on ongoing oversight of even the most experienced staff. “They are con- stantly training and re-training staff to meet the surgeon’s plan of care and keep us current with state and Medi- care regulations and accreditation standards,” Flory says.


If you are fortunate to assemble a strong spine surgery team, endeavor to keep it intact, Brkaric says. “When you are at a hospital, you work with whoever is on call or assigned to you. Someone in your room might have plenty of hysterectomy experience, but not much spine experience. Now you need to instruct them on what to do while you are performing a procedure.


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