Surgery Team Wins 2023 SHC Sustainability Ambassador Award
Gretchen Annie accepts the Sustainability Award from Terry Duffina.
Drs. Jaclyn Wu and Paige Fox join the awards ceremony via Zoom.
December 12, 2023
The team “OR Sustainability and Waste Reduction,” made up of Dr. Jaclyn Wu, Dr. Paige Fox, Dr. John Gahagan, Gretchen Annie, RN and Courtland Couture, CST has been selected to receive the 2023 Sustainability Ambassador Award from Stanford Health Care (SHC). The team was chosen to participate in the Realizing Improvement through Team Empowerment (RITE) training program in March 2023.
“This team studied the impact of adjusting preference cards for one anorectal case type, to determine if there could be efficiency gains and waste reduction from the elimination of unneeded items on the preference card. They successfully demonstrated that 3-5 pounds of supplies were eliminated from this one case type alone, and proved efficiencies in the autoclave process for instruments,” said Terry Duffina, MBA, BEP, SFP, director of the Sustainability Program Office at the Monthly Managers Meeting where the award was presented.
The project also reduced 15 minutes of labor per tray assembly. If expanded to the 40,000+ OR cases performed at SHC, this initiative would result in up to 200,000 lbs of waste diverted from landfill annually.
“This project could reduce labor costs associated with the unneeded supply management, increasing the throughput of autoclaves and the potential to reduce waste from the OR significantly,” said Duffina.
The project was supported and enabled by the Department of Surgery Quality Improvement team, spearheaded by Tara Lahiji-Neary.
“This reflects well on our efforts to improve quality and reduce waste across the Department and health system,” said Dr. Ron Dalman, vice chair of Quality Improvement for Stanford Surgery. “Congratulations to everyone involved with this important project.”
Related News
– SoundCloudGreening the OR with Dr. Paige Fox
DYK that one-quarter to one-half of all hospital waste is generated by the OR? Dr. Paige Fox, an Associate Professor in our Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is trying to change that. She
– Stanford Medicine MagazineInitiatives aim to make the operating room sustainable
Surgeons and anesthesiologists don’t want their jobs to harm the environment. They’re learning how to reduce, reuse and recycle in the OR.
Media Contact
Bio
About Stanford Surgery
The Stanford University Department of Surgery is dedicated to inventing the future of surgical care through:
• pioneering cutting-edge research,
• developing the next generation of leaders, and
• healing through incomparable surgical skills and compassion.
To learn more, please visit surgery.stanford.edu
The Latest
stanfordgensurg on InstagramDr. Wren Named Alum of the Year by Stritch School of Medicine
Congratulations to Dr. Sherry Wren, who has been named an Alum of the Year by Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine. Dr. Wren, who received her MD at Stritch in 1986, is being recognized for “Excellence in Community Service.” The award will be presented at the Stritch Reunion Weekend in October.
SurgeryA Smaller Incision Offers a New Approach to Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy
Stanford surgeon Dr. Jean Bao introduces endoscopic nipple-sparing mastectomy, a minimally invasive approach that uses a smaller lateral incision while preserving the breast skin and nipple. The technique may improve surgical visualization, reduce tissue retraction, and support an easier recovery for appropriately selected patients undergoing cancer treatment or risk-reducing surgery.
SurgeryPostdoc Spotlight: Ken Neiser, PhD
Ken Nieser, an investigator with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Stanford's S-SPIRE Center, applies statistical models to health data to study and improve healthcare quality, focusing on colorectal cancer screening disparities among veterans by combining quantitative data analysis with qualitative research involving patient and provider interviews.
SurgeryImproving Cancer Immunotherapy with Dr. Alma Cepika
Dr. Alma Cepika explains how TR1 cells regulate immune responses and how tumors may exploit these cells to suppress antitumor immunity. Could targeting TR1 cells help improve cancer immunotherapy?
SurgeryHTTC: Dr. Derrick Wan, 72nd PSRC Chair
Dr. Derrick Wan has been elected the 72nd President of the Plastic Surgery Research Council. He shares his journey to the presidency and his goals for the society.
Division of Plastic & Reconstructive SurgeryA Career of Compassion and Connection: Celebrating Elena Hopkins
Longtime nurse practitioner and program coordinator Elena Hopkins reflects on a career devoted to children with craniofacial conditions and their families.
Abdominal TransplantationMarc Melcher Receives 2026 John Levin Excellence in Leadership Award
Marc L. Melcher, MD, PhD, chief of the Division of Abdominal Transplantation and professor of surgery at Stanford Medicine, has received the 2026 John Levin Excellence in Leadership Award from the Stanford Health Care Board of Directors.
SurgerySamantha Ratanavipupong wins Inaugural StanfordMed Spark Tank
Samantha Ratanavipupong won Stanford Medicine’s inaugural Spark Tank for a clinical operations dashboard that combines billing data to help leaders identify coding and productivity gaps and better support faculty in meeting wRVU targets. The competition invited staff across the School of Medicine to pitch practical, innovative ideas, with organizers planning to build on the event’s success in 2027. Our own Cyrus Press took third.
Stanford Cardiovascular InstituteWhen Blood Vessels Trigger Heart Failure: A New Mechanism Driving Inherited Cardiomyopathy
“For many years, LMNA cardiomyopathy has largely been viewed through the lens of the cardiomyocyte,” said Nazish Sayed, MD, PhD, senior author of the study. “Our findings suggest that the endothelium is not simply a bystander. Endothelial cells undergo profound reprogramming that can actively contribute to fibrosis and cardiac dysfunction.”
SurgeryPostdoc Spotlight: Bo Liu, DDS, PhD
Bo Liu, DDS, PhD, transitioned from dentistry to research, becoming a senior research scientist at Stanford Medicine where she leads innovative work in plastic and reconstructive surgery