OR Flow: Redefining Operating Room Efficiency and Surgical Access at Maternity and Children Hospital Dammam- Saudi Arabia

Maternity and Children Hospital - Dammam (MCHD) is a specialized healthcare facility within the Eastern Health Cluster, providing comprehensive maternal, neonatal, pediatric, and surgical services. The hospital is committed to delivering high-quality care, enhancing patient experience, and driving continuous improvement through innovative, integrated care pathways and performance excellence.

Since July 1, 2023, Maternity and Children Hospital - Dammam (MCHD) has delivered one of the most impactful transformation programs within the Eastern Health Cluster through the development and implementation of the OR FLOW Model. This innovative operating room coordination system was created in response to rising surgical demand, long waiting lists, and limited OR capacity. Using a homegrown design, the OR FLOW Model integrated organizational management excellence, customer service transformation, and advanced digital capabilities into a single operational engine.

In terms of organizational management, the hospital redesigned its entire surgical coordination structure. A centralized digital booking process replaced fragmented workflows, enabling full visibility of surgical slots, anesthesia readiness, and case prioritization. Multidisciplinary teams including surgeons, anesthetists, nurses, and scheduling staff were aligned through weekly tactical meetings, standardized protocols, and real-time dashboards. This governance model eliminated silos, increased accountability, and ensured equitable allocation of surgical access across specialties.

The initiative also significantly advanced customer service and patient experience. Prior to OR FLOW, more than 600 patients were on monthly waitlists, many waiting weeks for surgery. After implementation, 100% of patients received their procedures within 36 days, and 70% within 14 days. Day surgeries increased to over 70% of elective cases by Q3 2024, reducing inpatient burden and improving patient flow. The redesigned pathways enabled smoother communication, reduced delays, and ensured that high-risk maternity and pediatric cases received timely, coordinated care. Digital transformation was a central pillar of the innovation. Using internally built analytics tools, the hospital created a real-time dashboard that tracks surgical requests, OR utilization, cancellations, and team compliance. This allowed immediate identification of bottlenecks and data-driven decision-making. The number of active ORs increased from 3 to 7 without any expansion, purely through operational excellence. OR utilization reached 95%+, placing the hospital among top performers nationally.

Financially, the model generated significant value. By improving throughput and reducing cancellations, MCHD increased its surgical volume from 3,668 cases to 5,255 cases, a gain of 1,587 surgeries, without adding rooms, staff, or external support. The avoidance of delayed cases, repeated bookings, and wasted operating time led to substantial resource savings.

The OR FLOW Model has since been recognized as a leading innovation in the region, winning second place in the Eastern Health Cluster Best Projects Competition, being adopted by two other hospitals, and receiving positive evaluation in cluster audits. The OR FLOW Model was not only recognized at the cluster level but also won a national Best Practice Award, further validating its impact, scalability, and excellence across the healthcare system.