First Case Podcast

First Case Podcast

Clock in, scrub up, and join us behind the red line. We are First Case – an operating room podcast bringing you exciting interviews, engaging discussions, and innovative solutions that are changing the way patients receive surgical care. Each episode we talk to frontline staff, perioperative leadership, and nursing entrepreneurs from across the country as they share their stories, experience and expertise on an industry we love. From the back table to the board room, from wheels in to wheels out. -- we tackle the real-life issues affecting the OR. Whether you're tuning in for surgical service education or inspiration, we're glad you're here. And now, it's time to roll back, and start the First Case…

Episodes

March 16, 2026 41 mins

What is the MAUDE Database, and what does it have to do with the Operating Room? Answering this question and connecting the dots for us today is Dr. Larry Muscarella, PhD, Presi...

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Organ procurement and transplant surgeries are among the most unique and emotionally powerful cases the OR team may encounter. And while they may not happen often, or in every facility, when they do occur, preparation, collaboration, and advocacy matter more than ever.

In this First Case Articles-On-The-Go, Lindsay Joyce, MSN, RN, CNOR, walks through the Top 10 things perioperative teams should k...

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What simple, everyday actions are derailing your infection prevention program? Tune in to this discussion with Erica Smith, Surgical Solutions Manager...

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Cardiac surgery is definitely its own specialty, and not all perioperative profes...

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February 25, 2026 5 mins

When seconds matter and the unexpected becomes routine, trauma teams rise to the challenge. In this First Case Articles On-The-Go: Top 10 Trauma Surgery, Lindsay Joyce, MSN, RN, CNOR, highlights the foundational principles every perioperative professional should understand when facing trauma.

From constant readiness and mastering...

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As we wrap Season 18 of First Case, we turn the spotlight to the role that keeps everything moving behind the scenes: the Clinical Coordinator.

In our final episode, Rod McArdle of Boston Children's Hospital shares how clinical coordinators balance scheduling, staffing, equipment, and real-ti...

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February 18, 2026 4 mins

Caring for pediatric surgical patients requires more than simply adapting adult practices. It demands a specialized, family-centered approach. In this First Case: Articles On-The-Go episode, Lindsay Joyce, MSN, RN, CNOR, walks through essential fundamentals every perioperative nurse should know, from maintaining a warm OR and using weight-based medication dosing ...

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"Where are your trays?"

Few phrases spike stress levels faster, and often, all eyes turn to the person in the red hat. But what really happens behind the scenes before those trays ever reach your back table?

In this powerful Operation: Collaboration episode, w...

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This week, we're stepping outside the OR and into the world of Facilities, the department quietly powering everything from air and water to electricity, pressure, and environmental safety. Without them, surgeries simply don't happen.

Join us as we talk with seasoned facilities consultant Kathy Neal about how Facilities' teams keep the surgical environment safe, c...

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February 4, 2026 6 mins

We might not be celebrating Perioperative Nurses Week this week, but we've always got time to shine a spotlight on perioperative nursing. 

In this week's Articles On-The-Go, Lindsey Joyce, MSN, RN, CNOR shares her own journey into perioperative nursing. From thinking the ICU was her forever home to finding unexpected inspiration in the operating room, this episode is a reminder that sometimes the p...

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Have you ever wondered what really happens behind the 'black door' between the OR and pharmacy? 👀💊

In this week's First Case interview, we sit down with Zahara, an experienced inpatient pharmacist from San Diego, to uncover the unseen work that keep...

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This week our Operation: Collaboration season continues with a deep dive into the often-unseen world of the Lab. In this episode, former laboratory associate supervisor turned OR nurse Anna Goodman bridges both sides of the specimen cup, breaking down cultures versus permanents, demystifying frozen sections, and explaining how real-time communication betw...

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Sterile processing doesn't run on magic, despite what we may sometimes think. In today's interview, we're joined by Angela Benson, a sterile processing education specialist, to talk about what really happens to our instruments long before they ever reach the back table. 

From decontamination and assembly to sterilization, documentation, and case cart build, this conversation pulls back the curtain on the complex, detail-driven work...

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Perfect imaging every time. No repairs. No reprocessing. Could single-use arthroscopes be the answer? On this special Beyond Clean, First Case, Power Supply, and Transmission Control Vendor Spotlight™ co-release episode, we're joined by Rich McKillop, CEO of Pristine Surgical, to explore how their S...

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Radiology is one of those departments that we rely on every single day in the OR, but don't always stop to think about how much coordination is required for our two departments to work together. In this second episode of Operation: Collaboration, we sit down with April Hughes, a radiologic technologist, to explore how radiology supports surgical care before, during, and after the procedure.

From juggling limited C-arms and tracking...

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January 7, 2026 12 mins

What does a canceled flight have in common with a canceled surgical case? More than you might think.

In today's article, Lindsay Joyce, MSN, RN, CNOR shares a personal travel story that unexpectedly reframed how she thinks about case cancellations by seeing them through the patient's perspective. Through delays, rebookings,...

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We're kicking off Season 18 of First Case with a topic that impacts every single case we run, but doesn't always get the spotlight it deserves: supply chain. In this season premiere, we're joined by Gary Skinner of Discover S3 Consulting to talk about what really happens behind the scenes to make surgery possible.

From onboarding new surgeons and managing ...

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December 24, 2025 2 mins

In this playful poem, Melanie highlights the hard work of those in the operating room, especially during the holiday season, and reminds us all that what we do every single day makes a difference in the lives of our patients. 

Happy Holidays! 

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Articles On-the-Go presents perioperative insights from wri...

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Happy Holidays! As we celebrate the season, we're giving you a special bonus episode of First Case featuring Phyllis Quinlan, RN, President and CEO of MFW Consultants. In this timely conversation, Phyllis shares powerful insights on navigating persistent uncertainty, reframing "change" as growth and evolution, and leading teams with empathy, clarity, and solidarity during unprecedented times.

As ...

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December 17, 2025 6 mins

Orthopedics is one of the busiest, and most equipment-intensive, service lines in health care. In this First Case Articles on the Go episode, Lindsay Joyce and Melanie Perry break down the Top 10 (plus one) foundational things every perioperative professional should know about working in orthopedic surgery. From nerve bloc...

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