Block scheduling lets you define and manage reserved operating room time for surgeons. View, create, and modify block allocations using a weekly calendar interface.
What is a block?
A block is a reserved time slot that assigns a specific operating room to a surgeon for a recurring (or one-time) period. For example: “Dr. Smith: OR 1, Mondays 8 AM – 5 PM, weekly.”
Calendar layout
The main view is a 7-column weekly grid (Sunday through Saturday) with a 24-hour timeline and 15-minute snap-to-grid. Block cards appear as colored rectangles showing the surgeon name, room, time range, and a recurrence icon.
The calendar auto-scrolls to 6:00 AM on load.
Navigation
| Control | Action |
|---|
| Today button | Jump to the current week (shortcut: T) |
| Previous / Next arrows | Navigate between weeks (shortcuts: ← / →) |
| Month + year label | Displayed in the header for context |
- Mini calendar — compact date picker for quick navigation to any week
- Surgeon filter — checkboxes with color swatches to show or hide individual surgeons
- Select All / Deselect All — bulk toggle for surgeon visibility
- Show Holidays — overlays facility closures as grey diagonal stripes on affected days
- Create Block button (admin only)
Each surgeon has a persistent color (stored in the database). Click a color swatch in the sidebar to change it.
Creating a block
Two ways to create a block:
- Drag selection — click and drag on the calendar grid to select a time range. A popover opens with the time pre-filled.
- Create Block button — opens the popover with empty fields.
| Field | Description |
|---|
| Surgeon | Select from the facility surgeon list |
| Room | Select an operating room |
| Day of week | Pre-filled from the click location |
| Start / End time | 15-minute increments |
| Recurrence | None, Weekly, Biweekly, or Monthly |
The popover warns you if the selected time overlaps an existing block for the same surgeon or room.
Recurrence types
| Type | Behavior |
|---|
| None | One-time block on a specific date |
| Weekly | Repeats every week on the same day |
| Biweekly | Repeats every two weeks |
| Monthly | Repeats on the same day each month |
Editing and deleting
Click an existing block card to open the edit popover. All fields are editable. A Duplicate button copies all fields into a new block creation form.
Deleting blocks
- One-time block — deleted immediately with a 6-second undo toast
- Recurring block — a modal asks whether to delete just this occurrence or the entire series
When you delete a single occurrence of a recurring block, the date is added to the block’s exception dates rather than removing the block entirely.
Keyboard shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|
T | Jump to today |
← | Previous week |
→ | Next week |
N | New block |
Holiday overlays
When “Show Holidays” is enabled, facility closures and holidays appear as grey diagonal stripes over the affected days. Blocks can still exist on holidays but are visually flagged.
Next steps
