Hospital operating rooms host the medical world’s most challenging, delicate and life-changing procedures. To ensure the highest levels of care and best possible patient outcomes, hospital ORs must be equipped with the latest, most technologically advanced equipment, lighting and IT systems.
Periodically updating and renovating hospital ORs, much like the surgeries that take place inside, requires a team of specialized, highly trained professionals working together in a well-planned and carefully coordinated effort. Here’s why:
ORs are major revenue centers for hospitals
In addition to serving as a key venue for improving and saving lives, hospital ORs are major revenue centers for hospital systems. A recent study published in JAMA Surgery estimated that the services performed in ORs account for nearly one-third of all healthcare spending. So, it’s critical to keep ORs updated and running smoothly.
What is the cost of OR downtime?
While the costs will vary from one facility to the next, data compiled by California’s Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) estimated that OR time costs could reach $36 to $37 per minute (source: Understanding costs of care in the operating room. Jama Surgery 2017). Another study of 100 hospitals in the U.S. published in the Journal of Cosmetic Surgery pegged the average operating room costs to be about $62 per minute. According to either of these studies, OR downtime can cost hospitals thousands of dollars per hour.
That’s why, when a hospital system decides that it’s time for OR renovations and/or equipment installations, they, of course, want the projects completed as safely, expediently and precisely as possible. According to Rachel Wolfe, president of KR Wolfe, Inc., “every OR project must be meticulously planned and coordinated— to minimize OR downtime and disruption to adjoining areas of the facility.”
Updating multiple ORs simultaneously
With years of specialization and expertise in OR renovations, equipment installation and systems integration, KR Wolfe is often called upon to upgrade and install new capital equipment in multiple ORs in a single contract. In 2019, KR Wolfe collaborated with Stryker, Inc. to renovate and install new equipment in 14 ORs for St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn, New York.
The Wolfe Pack was also tapped in 2019 to renovate four ORs at the Kerlan Jobe Institute, a world-class orthopedic surgical facility that’s home to the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams. To avoid any downtime for the team, KR Wolfe had to complete the project in phases. Working two weekends when the Rams had away games, the ORs were renovated with zero disturbance to the staff and players.
To browse through other KR Wolfe healthcare construction and installation projects, click here. If you have an upcoming project you would like to discuss with our team, please CONTACT US. Every successful project begins with a friendly conversation.
About KR Wolfe, Inc.
Incorporated in 2007, KR Wolfe, Inc. is a technology-forward construction services company specializing in technical, end-to-end Operating Room construction projects, Systems Integration, Capital Equipment Installation and Field Maintenance Services. Our experienced engineers and technicians deliver turnkey solutions for the medical, transportation and government sectors.
KR Wolfe —Making the equipment and technology of tomorrow work today.
