Sedation emergencies may be rare, but when they happen, the consequences can be catastrophic. In this episode, anesthesiologist Dr. Richard Marn shares a practical framework to help oral surgeons prepare for high-stress, low-frequency events that can jeopardize patient safety and derail a practice. Drawing on his work with multiple oral surgeons and his extensive simulation training experience, Dr. Marn walks through four key pillars of readiness: Infrastructure, Competency, Culture, and Habit. He offers real-world strategies for building team alignment, from five-minute huddles and tabletop drills to equipment checks and fostering psychological safety. Along the way, he underscores how leadership and communication can transform a group of individuals into a high-performing team. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to embed a culture of calm, confident emergency response.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Dr. Richard Marn’s journey from surgery intern to pediatric anesthesiologist.
• The importance of stress testing your staff for an emergency event.
• Four pillars of emergency readiness: Infrastructure, Competency, Culture, and Habit.
• The definition of Halo events (High Acuity Low Occurrence) and their potentially devastating impact.
• Why preparation is critical to protect your practice during Halo events.
• How Dr. Marn conducts five-minute emergency drills to build team alignment.
• Sedation as a high-risk activity and how to prepare for it.
• Why soft skills and teamwork are as important as CPR or airway management.
• Simulation training: how they reveal common gaps in emergency preparedness.
• Little details that matter, like knowing how to turn on an oxygen tank.
• The importance of regular huddles: to build habits and uncover weak spots before an emergency hits.
• How to make sure your emergency equipment is in working order: assign liaisons to keep emergency kits, meds, and devices ready for use.
• What you can do to help your team practice emergency skills during real-life, low-stakes cases.
• How culture and psychological safety can affect a team’s emergency response.
• Why culture shifts start with leadership and clear communication of expectations.
• How to access a free online assessment to evaluate team readiness.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Richard Marn — https://www.drrichardmarn.com/
Dr. Richard Marn on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardmarn/
Online Sedation Risk Assessment — https://emergency.scoreapp.com

Center for Medical Simulation — https://harvardmedsim.org/
Online Sedation Risk Assessment — https://emergency.scoreapp.com
Blue Pacific Medical Simulation — https://bpmedsim.com/
New York Medical Anesthesia — https://nymedicalanesthesia.com/

Everyday Oral Surgery Website — https://www.everydayoralsurgery.com/ 

Everyday Oral Surgery on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/everydayoralsurgery/ 

Everyday Oral Surgery on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/EverydayOralSurgery/

Dr. Grant Stucki Email — [email protected]

Dr. Grant Stucki Phone — 720-441-6059