Optimizing OR capacity
starts with true OR intelligence
Maximizing case volume takes more than better math. Apella ensures scheduling and utilization are always built on the right data foundation.
Scheduling based on incomplete data
costs valuable OR time
When schedules rely solely on EHR data, inefficiency is baked in before the day even begins: documentation errors, limited granularity, delayed visibility. Apella replaces unreliable inputs with insights captured directly from the operating room.
Enhance case scheduling accuracy
Build schedules on ground-truth, objective data. Apella combines ambient OR data with predictive models to deliver precise forecasts — even for more complex cases and turnovers.
- Case duration forecasting
- Turnover duration forecasting
- Case length accuracy auditing
Make block management straightforward
Block time shouldn't be a debate. Replace manual reports with objective, real-time data so OR leaders and surgeons can collaborate and align on smarter block scheduling decisions.
- On-demand block utilization dashboard
- Block allocation analysis
Automate scheduler coordination
Finding and filling unused OR time doesn't have to require endless back-and-forth. Apella streamlines how you identify, share, and fill capacity by automatically surfacing best-fit slots.
- Automated promotion and filling of unused OR capacity
- Case-matching with available times
Hear directly from our customers
I went from operating only opportunistically during open hours to having scheduled cases every Monday. And that change was all through better allocation of the block schedule.
Dr. Tim Brown
Orthopedic Surgeon at Houston Methodist
3x
INCREASE IN SURGEON
CASE VOLUME
Frequently asked questions
What is case throughput and how does Apella affect it?
Case throughput is the number of surgical cases a hospital can complete through its existing ORs in a given period of time. Apella uses real-time event data and predictive scheduling to reduce schedule inaccuracies, unused block time, and prolonged turnovers. Hospitals complete more cases with the same rooms, staff, and operating hours.
Can ambient AI actually increase surgical case volume?
Yes. An analysis across health systems associated Apella with an average increase of about two additional surgical cases per OR per month, expanding patient access without adding physical OR capacity. At Houston Methodist, an initial pilot coincided with a 10% increase in monthly case volume, and a later peer-reviewed study published in The Journal of Imaging verified a 7% increase in case volume linked to Apella’s ambient AI.
How does Apella help with OR schedule optimization?
Apella uses historical case duration data and utilization predictions to build more accurate schedules before the day even begins and updates predictions in real time as cases run ahead of or behind expectation. This lets perioperative leaders resequence cases, rebalance staffing, and communicate changes before a delay in one room affects the rest of the day.
How do ambient AI platforms for the OR like Apella improve patient access to surgical care?
By helping hospitals capture more cases from their existing operating rooms — rather than requiring new construction, more staff, or longer hours — Apella increases the number of patients a health system can treat with the resources it already has. This is especially significant given long-documented backlogs for elective and semi-elective procedures across many health systems. On average, Apella’s partner hospitals are able to serve an additional two cases per OR per month, yielding roughly a 5% increase in patient access.
How do schedulers use ambient AI?
Schedulers use Apella’s predictive tools to improve block schedule accuracy, optimize OR utilization, and improve coordination across clinics and hospitals.