Shared operating rooms are a MISTAKE!

Ok, I'm going to just keep posting dynamics I see in game that are flawed. Yeah, in theory shared operating rooms are great -- but not when you have departments randomly utilizing rooms in various locations even when the operating room located right there, in their own department, is not being utilized (free)!!! C'mon guys! This lack of logic behind the games decisions really is becoming tiresome. This effect seems similar to patients and staff not utilizing facilities DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR THEM located close by, and instead wandering halfway across the hospital to use said services.

Good point.
Maybe allowing rooms to be designated to one or more departments is the way to go?

I learned to embrace them after I built a new hospital, by putting all operating rooms in one section of the hospital, and marked it as General Surgery operating rooms make organization easier. I believe this is how real hospital works.

If you don't like it, you can modify Surgery.xml by setting <EquipmentFromAnyDepartment> to false, every one of them. It works for me, though I no longer use it after I reorganize everything.