Preference Card Optimization Campaign

What Are Preference Cards?

Preference cards are procedure-specific lists that outline the supplies, instruments, equipment and room setups required for a surgical case which are tailored to individual surgeon preferences. Accurate and up to date preference cards can:

Ensure the right supplies are available when needed
Reduce intraoperative disruptions
Minimize waste and unnecessary cost

For additional information about terminology, please refer to the terminology guide.

What Is the Preference Card Optimization Campaign?

The Preference Card Optimization Campaign is a SUSTAIN Initiative focused on reviewing and optimizing surgical preference cards, which aims to reduce unnecessary supplies, improve workflow efficiency, and strengthen value in surgical care. The campaign will run for 1 year (August 2, 2026–August 2, 2027).

This campaign brings together surgeons, perioperative teams, and professional surgical organizations to standardize and maintain accurate, high-value preference cards. The campaign is designed to:

Be accessible to all surgical teams
Require minimal administrative burden
Encourage practical, rapid-cycle change
Promote visible surgeon leadership
Enhance cost savings in the OR

Why Preference Cards?

Preference cards influence nearly every surgical procedure, yet many are rarely reviewed after they are created. Over time, outdated preference cards can contribute to unnecessary supplies being opened, increased costs, workflow inefficiencies, and avoidable waste.

Optimizing preference cards is a practical, low-barrier way to improve surgical care without requiring major investments or changes to clinical practice.

Benefits include:

Reduce unnecessary waste
Improve operating room efficiency
Lower supply and reprocessing costs
Support quality improvement initiatives
Promote responsible resource stewardship

Download Optimized Preference Card Example

Preference card optimization can help:

Reduce unnecessary supplies

Improve OR turnover and workflow

Lower reprocessing and supply costs

Support sustainability and quality improvement efforts

Join the Campaign

Who Should Participate?

The campaign is open to the surgical care team. articipants may include:

Surgeons
OR nurses
Perioperative leaders
Surgical technologists
Quality improvement professionals
Hospital administrators supporting sustainability initiatives

The campaign welcomes participation from the entire surgical care team. Each participating site or selected procedure must designate a surgeon lead to oversee the preference card optimization effort.

Campaign Benefits

Participants will have the opportunity to:

Learn practical implementation strategies
Connect with peers across institutions
Earn CME credit (pending approval)
Contribute to a national collaborative effort
Help shape future sustainability initiatives

Contact Us

For more information, please reach out to Adriana Cordova at acordova@facs.org.

How the Campaign Works

Participation is designed to be practical and flexible.

Step 1: Review your current preference card

Identify a procedure or preference card that may benefit from optimization.

Step 2: Learn from experts

Access webinars, implementation guidance, and examples from organizations already improving their preference cards.

Step 3: Implement improvements

Work with your surgical team to optimize your preference card using evidence-based best practices.

Step 4: Share your progress

Submit your updated preference card and share lessons learned to help advance sustainability across the surgical community.

Campaign Resources

7 Steps to Optimize a Preference Card

A step-by-step guide to optimizing preference cards to reduce waste and improve operating room efficiency.

Terminology Guide

A reference guide defining key campaign terms to support consistent understanding and implementation across participating sites.

Campaign Credit Claiming

Details on continuing education credit for the campaign, including available CME credits, nursing contact hours, FAQs, and more.

Campaign Webinar Series

How to Review and Optimize a Preference Card

October 2026

Apply a structured process for reviewing and updating surgical preference cards.
Identify unnecessary, duplicate, outdated, or rarely used items on a preference card.
Develop a feasible plan to implement an optimized preference card.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Campaign

What is the Preference Card Optimization Campaign?

The Preference Card Optimization Campaign is the first national initiative of the ACS SUSTAIN Collaborative. It helps surgeons and surgical care teams optimize surgical preference cards to reduce unnecessary supplies, improve operating room efficiency, strengthen resource stewardship, and support high-quality patient care.

Through educational resources, implementation guidance, and peer learning opportunities, participants can identify practical improvements that create measurable operational, financial, and environmental benefits within their organizatio

Who should participate?

The Preference Card Optimization Campaign is designed for the entire surgical care team. Successful preference card optimization often requires collaboration across multiple roles within the operating room.

Participants may include:

Surgeons
OR nurses
Perioperative leaders
Surgical technologists
Quality improvement professionals
Hospital administrators and sustainability leaders supporting surgical operations

While anyone on the surgical care team can contribute, surgeon involvement is encouraged because surgeons typically oversee or approve preference card decisions. The campaign is designed to help teams work together to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and strengthen resource stewardship.

What is expected of participating sites?

Participation is designed to be practical and flexible, allowing each site to implement improvements in a way that aligns with its existing workflows.

Participating sites are asked to:

Identify and review one or more surgical preference cards.
Participate in educational webinars and utilize campaign resources.
Implement at least one improvement to optimize a preference card or related workflow.
Submit pre- and post-campaign preference cards, when possible.
Share lessons learned and optional summary metrics to help advance sustainable surgical practices across the broader community.

The campaign is intended to support continuous improvement rather than prescribe a single approach. Each organization can determine how best to implement changes based on its own processes and needs.

What is the timeline for the campaign?

The Preference Card Optimization Campaign officially launches at the 2026 ACS Quality & Safety Conference and continues throughout the 2026–2027 campaign year.

During the campaign, participants will have access to educational webinars, implementation resources, and opportunities to collaborate with peers as they review and optimize their preference cards. Participants are encouraged to share lessons learned and optional summary metrics throughout the campaign, with updates and early outcomes shared during the campaign year.

Do I need to be part of an ACS Quality Program?

No. The campaign is open to surgical teams interested in improving sustainability and operational efficiency.

Does my hospital have to use a specific preference card format?

No. Preference cards vary by institution. The campaign focuses on optimization rather than standardization.

Do I need approval from my hospital?

Implementation processes vary by institution. The campaign provides resources to help participants work with their local surgical and perioperative teams.

What information will participants submit?

Participants will be asked to:

Review an existing preference card
Implement improvements
Share an updated preference card
Submit summary metrics and lessons learned