Polly Birdsong, MHCDS, MSN, RN, CNOR

Oversight of:

• Operating Suites
• Pre/Post
• Reprocessing
• GI Lab
• LTSC
• Trauma - Level III

Selected Accomplishments:

Stabilized Staff - currently no agency

Increased Capacity - utilizing bounce rooms and increased anesthesia sites

Patient Satisfaction Initiative - Leader rounding both with in surgical service and in-patient units.

Rigid Container Implementation - PI project for Reprocessing - 80% containerized instrumentation to prevent contaminated trays.

Supply Chain Partnership - Review of new product introduction - Saving initiative with sole or dual sourcing implantable devices. Product review. Contract review.

Surgical Services

3 Sites, 18 Operating Suites, 11 Direct Reports, 150+ Indirect Reports, >35 Million annual budgets.

• Pre/Post PACU:

Same day Joint Surgery 82%-85% monthly discharge rate highest within UPMC.

Support Facility operations with overnight stays in PACU due to Nursing shortage on inpatient units.

• Main OR:

Stabilized team removed utilization of agency.

Added 4 Operating Rooms within a two-year span, from 7 to 11 surgical suites at UPMC East.

Started DaVinci Robotic Program.

Opened Hybrid Room to expand vascular services.

• Preoperative Evaluation Center:

Collaboration with Anesthesia to establish ERAS protocol for Total Joint and Colorectal Surgery.

• Central Sterile:

Restructured to the department - brought in Steris to consult on workflow issues.

Stabilized workforce.

Supported ASC central sterile needs - no sterile processing at the ASC.

• GI Lab
• Outpatient Infusion Centers - UPMC East & McKeesport
• Emergency Department

Oversight 35 room ED & 12 bed CDU Department.

Decreased LWBS from >8% to 1.79%.

Decreased Average Door to Bed from >110 minutes to 57 minutes.

• Committee Leadership and Membership:

SSOC - Surgical Services Operations Committee - Co Chair with Chief of Surgery.

System Emergency Management Committee.

System Surgical Services Directors Committee.

• Regulatory Compliance:

Successfully lead the Joint Commission annual survey within all department support at McKeesport and East without any surgical citations & limited ED citations.

Successfully lead DOH annual survey of West Mifflin ASC with out citations.

Oversight of 21 Operating Suites, 11 direct reports, 250+ indirect reports, 65 million annual budgets, over 6 departments - Magnet Facility - 3 surgical offices practices, 18 surgeons, 35 indirect reports, office operations oversight.

• Pre/Post PACU
• Main Operating Suites
• Cardiothoracic Operating Suites
• Surgical Evaluation Center
• Central Sterilization Processing Department
• Interventional Pulmonology
• Surgical Office Practices

Selected Accomplishments:

• HSO Workforce Planning Committee - turnover decreased from 17% to 9.1%.
• Patient Satisfaction - Increased to 90th percentile from 81st percentile.
• System Specialty Supply Team - successful implementation and sustainment of purchasing contracts.
• Capital purchase review committee.
• Infection Prevention Committee.
• SEAT Event review Committee.
• Surgical Physician review Committee.
• Surgeon Recruitment Committee.
• Goal Deployment Plan - System Compensation Committee.
• Goal Deployment Plan - Transfer Center.
• Magnet Redesignation Committee.
• Strategic Operational Business Steering Committee
• Covid Task Force Planning and Implementation.

AHN Allegheny General Hospital - A part of Allegheny Health Network, a nonprofit, level I trauma, short-term acute care facility with 552 total staffed beds.

Director of Surgical Services - Orthopedics (April 2016-July 2017)

Oversight of 29 Operating Rooms, 4 direct reports, 50 indirect reports, 35 million annual service line budget.

AGH trailed a new OR leadership structure - 4 directors to cover main service lines/operations/CSPD - 100% union workforce.

• Operating Suites
• Scheduling
• Navigation/Laser resource allocation
• Anesthesia Liaison
• Regulatory Compliance

Selected Accomplishments:

• Facility Union Negotiations member.
• Bimonthly department chair, service line strategy meeting.
• Infection Prevention Committee.
• System Specialty Supply Team.

AHN Monroeville Surgery Center

Monroeville Surgery Center, part of the Allegheny Health Network, is an ambulatory surgical center that provides quality care in a wide range of specialties.

Director of Nursing (January 2015 - April 2016)

Oversight of 4 Operating Rooms, 3 Procedural Rooms, 30+ direct reports, 21 million annual budgets.

• Operations
• Physician Recruitment and Retention
• Policy and Procedures
• Regulatory Compliance
• Quarterly Physician meeting.

Selected Accomplishments:

• Policy and Procedure Development
• DOH survey with no deficiencies
• Joint Commission Accreditation with no deficiencies

AHN Allegheny General Hospital

Operating Room Staff Nurse PRN Position (December 2013 - January 2015)

• Scrub and Circulate all specialty but Neurosurgery.

Selected Accomplishments:

• Completed MSN at University of Pittsburgh

Vident Medical Center - CVOR East Carolina Heart Institute (November 2012 - May 2013)

Oversight of Cardiac, Vascular, and Thoracic Surgery - 7 Operating Suites - Magnet Facility.

• Pre/Post
• Operating Suites

Selected Accomplishments:

• Physician Satisfaction - Biweekly Leadership Meetings with Physicians.
• Team recruitment and retention.
• Development and Evolution of Services lines - Hybrid Room build - TEVAR program - TVAR program (part of a trial).
• Infection Prevention Committee.
• Product Utilization/Compliance Committee
• Anesthesia Leadership - Committee Member.

Vident Beaufort Hospital (October 2008 - November 2012)

Oversight of multi-specialty surgical services - originally hired as a consultant then was offered FT to support surgical services.

• Pre/Post (ASU unit)
• Surgical Suites
• Endoscopy
• Bronchoscopy
• Anesthesia - CRNA oversight

Selected Accomplishments:

• Infection Prevention Committee - decreased immediate use sterilization from 50% to 0.4%
• Patient Satisfaction Committee- ASU unit received 2 National (Health stream) Awards for patient satisfaction.
• Directors Council - Reported biannually.
• Medical Executive Council - Reported biannually.
• Physician Recruitment ande Retention - Developed block scheduling and adherence guidelines.
• Regulatory and Compliance Committee.

Staff RN - ICU - PACU - OR Scrubbing and Circulating (1988 - 2000)

OR Manager (2000 - 2003)

Surgery Center Administrator (2003 - 2008)