Back to NewsroomAt ORBM 2026, many conversations focused on block utilization and quality metrics. But one session zeroed in on a different priority: bringing visibility through AI to surgical supplies, tissue, and implants, one of the largest cost drivers in the OR.
The panel featured:
- Thadius Wadsworth (Thad), MBA, BSN, RN – Chief Operating Officer, Acute Care Division, ProMedica Health System
- Shannon Holley, MSN, RN, CNOR, NE-BC, RNFA – Vice President of Operations, System Surgical Services, ProMedica Health System
- Amy Brown, MHA – Director of Customer Delivery, AssistIQ
- Facilitator: Shawn Sefton, MBA, BSN, RN, Clinical Advisor to AssistIQ
Bringing accurate visibility to supplies: the contribution margin decision
Thad framed the financial challenge directly. In most hospital departments, labor is the primary expense. In surgery and procedural areas, supplies represent the dominant cost category. While governance, capacity management, access, scheduling, and accuracy remain essential, he explained that improving contribution margin in surgery required a more direct focus:
In the hospital, labor is the number one expense in all departments, except for three areas, pharmacy, where it's pharmaceuticals, surgery, where it's surgical supplies, and procedure areas, where it's the supplies as well. So we've done the table stakes of governance, stuff you have heard around capacity management, access, scheduling, accuracy, we felt that to get to where we needed to increase the contribution margin in our surgical world was to [focus on] supplies and implants, to bring visibility to that supply.”
The team saw AI-driven capture as “a high value entry point.” The proposal was brought to the CFO and senior executive leadership team, who aligned quickly.
AI is everywhere, and it's in our personal lives. It's in all industries. It's coming hard and fast to healthcare and ProMedica really wanted to be strategic and intentional where we adopted… we made a decision that we'd be fast followers.”
What changed in the OR
Holley described the operational shift. Historically, documenting supplies and implants added to nurses’ workload and required manual entry and post-case corrections.
With AI-driven capture integrated into workflow, supplies and implants are captured and recognized as cases are opened and automatically flow into the EHR. Nurses no longer need to determine what is chargeable or manually search for products. The impact included:
- Greater accuracy in product documentation
- Reduced end-of-case documentation and fewer chart corrections
- Faster identification of recalled or high-risk items
The change allowed clinicians to stay focused on patient care while improving financial accuracy.
Results after three months
After just three months at one of ProMedica’s hospitals, the results were clear:
- 15% increase in average gross charges per case
- 28% increase in average net revenue per case
- 15% increase in average reimbursement per case
- 90% reduction in tissue errors within the first two weeks
The 98% capture rate of our supplies really did drive an increase in that revenue for us.”
Beyond revenue, Holley shared that the system was able to provide data “right away” highlighting variance and projects to tackle. One example: cardiac surgeon packs that varied “anywhere from $400 and $500 by surgeon.” Thad also described an “aha moment” when many trunk stock items surfaced without contracted pricing, revealing missed negotiation opportunities. ProMedica also saw the impact with staff with members sharing their appreciation for the new technology, “[AssistIQ] is a lot faster and easier than what we did before.”
For ProMedica, the next step is expansion across additional hospitals and procedural areas.
Watch the video
Watch the full ORBM 2026 session below to hear directly from ProMedica’s leadership team about their experience and results.
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