Administrative structures: Options for achieving success in perioperative medicine

Without the appropriate administrative structure, even well-thought-out strategic plans or detailed process improvement initiatives will fail. Developing a strong foundation for governance and leadership is a critical element of any high-functioning organization, and it applies just as well in the perioperative setting.

Yet, perioperative patient care teams and operating room (OR) management structures can be very complex, due to relationships both within the OR and between the OR and other departments. Frequently, reliable management of the perioperative process is lacking.

We aim to provide an overview of the structural and elemental components and roles of perioperative management teams, as well as the administrative structure that guides them, since effective perioperative care teams and OR leaders are of paramount importance for any successful hospital.