Faced with rising surgical demand, surgeon frustration and limited visibility into scheduling bottlenecks, Fairfax, Va.-based Inova Health System transformed its perioperative operations with predictive and prescriptive analytics, filling 46% of released OR time, increasing available release minutes by 20%, and boosting primetime utilization by 3%.
The shift unlocked new volume, improved governance, and reduced friction for surgeons and staff across five hospitals and nearly 100 ORs.
During a recent webinar hosted by Becker’s Healthcare and LeanTaaS, leaders from Inova, detailed how implementing iQueue for Operating Rooms created accountability, transparency, and sustainable cultural change across perioperative services.
Here are key takeaways from their discussion:
1. A systemwide approach
Before its partnership with LeanTaaS, Inova struggled with blocks that were often released only the day before, or the day of, surgery, leaving teams unable to backfill cases. Despite visible time on the schedule, surgeons consistently reported they “didn’t have time to get cases on,” due to delays, inconsistent workflows, and limited data access.
“We found a lot of bottlenecks,” said Kelly Connolly, MHSA, PMP, senior director of the surgery service line at Inova.“Blocks weren’t released until one or three days before surgery, so we couldn’t get any additional cases on. The staff were frustrated and surgeons were unhappy.”
By redesigning block release practices moving many from zero-day to 7-, 14-, or 21-day release, the AI and machine learning powered system generated significantly more usable open time, setting the foundation for its 46% release fill rate.
2. Stewardship of time
Inova replaced manual spreadsheets, emails and phone calls with a centralized, transparent system. Teams gained the ability to pull accurate block data “in 30 seconds,” dramatically speeding decision-making and strengthening trust between scheduling, surgeons and OR leaders.
“Everything used to live in emails or phone calls. Now it’s all tracked in iQueue,” said Caity Butler, MSN, RN, CNOR, manager of centralized scheduling at Inova. “It’s not a guessing game anymore. We are working smarter, not harder.”
Block committees became utilization committees focused on unused time, automation, and systemwide consistency. Standardized dashboards and templates supported clearer conversations, particularly with low utilizers.
This visibility, paired with consistent leadership expectations, helped shift surgeon mindset from “hoarding time” to shared stewardship of open time.
3. Culture change is critical
Inova leaders emphasized that trust-building was as important as technology. OR teams who previously held time manually had to adjust to new workflows and automation.
Hands-on training, site visits, virtual office hours, and a unified message from senior leadership helped ease skepticism. Surgeons who were initially resistant became strong advocates as they experienced faster scheduling and fewer administrative delays.
“We had to gain the trust of the ORs and surgeons,” said Jane Yang, MHA, director of operations, perioperative services surgery service line administration at Inova. “Once they saw there was more usable time, they were willing to let go of old habits.”
Ms. Connolly shared the story of one vascular surgeon who shared that iQueue allowed her to get patients into the OR earlier, reducing length of stay and letting her get home earlier to spend more time with her kids.
4. More than just ROI
In less than a year, Inova’s transformation has delivered results that are both operationally meaningful and widely felt across perioperative services. The system backfilled 51% of new OR volume and expanded surgeon access to open time, all while significantly reducing phone calls and manual scheduling work.
With standardized reporting and clearer accountability in place, teams are operating with greater alignment and confidence. These gains have also translated directly into stronger staff and surgeon satisfaction, reinforcing the long-term sustainability of Inova’s new scheduling model.
Leaders emphasized that these gains have stuck because workflows are now transparent, proactive and easier for both frontline staff and surgeons to navigate.
“The phone isn’t ringing all the time anymore, yet we’re still able to schedule cases,” Ms. Yang said. “We have redundancy and we have really great operational improvements on the scheduling side that hold our team accountable.”
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