Transforming Surgical Operations to Withstand Policy Shocks

This panel brings together perioperative leaders from two leading academic medical centers—each at different points in their digital transformation journeys—to share how they are modernizing surgical operations with data-driven approaches.

Megan Eubanks, MBA, Senior Director of Business Operations, Perioperative and Procedural Services at The University of Kansas Health System, represents a mature customer who has fully embedded LeanTaaS iQueue into daily workflows. She will share how The University of Kansas Health System sharpened every phase of surgical operations, established scalable standards, and created a compelling counter-narrative to Epic-only strategies.

Ben Hall, MBA, MHA, MHCDS, Executive Director – Perioperative Services at the University of Iowa Health Care, offers the perspective of a newer customer experiencing early wins with iQueue’s Daily Roster and Anesthesia Staffing modules. His team has already streamlined processes, eliminated paper workflows, and unlocked early visibility and accountability.

Together, they will discuss how data, forecasting, and operational intelligence are enabling both organizations to maximize existing OR resources, expand access, and drive meaningful efficiency gains—while navigating the cultural and structural complexities unique to academic medical centers. Attendees will leave with a sense of the art of the possible and what it takes to leverage technology to address barriers head on that are capacity limiting.

Key Takeaways

1. Data-Driven Transformation
   Understand how both systems leveraged iQueue analytics to uncover hidden OR capacity—even at already high utilization.
   
2. From Tool to Culture
   Learn how digital tools evolve from “a system we use” to “how we operate.”
   The University of Kansas Health System will share how embedding iQueue into policies, standards, and daily routines transformed their perioperative culture and drove long-term sustainability.
   
3. Beyond Epic-Only Thinking
   Hear how specialized operational tools complement EHR capabilities by providing predictive, actionable guidance on what to do next—a key differentiator that helped The University of Kansas Health System achieve operational excellence alongside their Epic implementation.
   
4. Early Wins & Implementation Journey
   Gain insight into University of Iowa Health Care’s early iQueue rollout, where they achieved a 4× reduction in process steps while eliminating paper workflows entirely. The implementation delivered improved visibility, accountability, and real-time staffing coordination through the platform’s powerful predictive functionality and forecasting capabilities. By leveraging data-driven forecasts to anticipate staffing needs and optimize resource allocation, the team established a clear roadmap for organizations beginning their digital transformation journey.