The Safety Ledger: Why Surgeons Should Never Scrub Out for a Phone Call

The operating room is unlike any other space in medicine. It is not an office, a clinic, or a telehealth booth. It is a sacred, protected zone.

The viral story that makes us pause

Recently, a surgeon went viral after posting a complaint on social media. She described how, in the middle of an operation, she had to scrub out because an insurance company was on the line demanding she certify another patient’s case. Her frustration was directed at the insurer for interrupting her. And understandably…