Objectives

After participating in this educational activity, attendees should be able to:

1. Identify common perioperative and postoperative complications and near-misses using shared, evidence-based definitions and a structured timeline-based review approach.
2. Apply standardized, ERAS-aligned clinical pathways and local order sets/PowerPlans to prevent, recognize, and manage high-impact complications (e.g., bleeding/transfusion, atrial fibrillation, vasoplegia/shock, respiratory failure, delirium, AKI, pain/opioid stewardship, glycemic control, and infection prevention).
3. Implement consistent escalation and rescue strategies across the OR–ICU–telemetry continuum, including clear thresholds for consult activation, attending notification, and ICU transfer from telemetry.
4. Demonstrate reliable, closed-loop communication and high-quality handoffs with explicit contingency plans to reduce errors across disciplines and across shifts.
5. Translate M&M findings into measurable quality improvement by generating specific action items (protocol/order set updates, workflow changes), assigning ownership, and using audit-and-feedback to monitor adoption and impact.
6. Collaborate effectively as an interprofessional team to analyze cases, align on shared mental models and roles/responsibilities, and implement coordinated system changes that improve reliability of care delivery and patient outcomes.

Presenter(s): 
Daniel Engelman, MD
UMass Professor
UMass Chan Medical School - Baystate
Medical Director, Heart & Vascular Critical Care
Baystate Medical Center