COMPLIANCE
BY KEN BULOW | JUNE-JULY 2022
Noncompliant coding and billing can lead to increased denials, missed reimbursement opportunities and unnecessary refunds. Additionally, poor compliance outcomes harm surgeon and patient satisfaction and could lead to more serious consequences, including loss of payer contracts and legal ramifications.
Read More >
BY TARIN ENGLISH | OCTOBER 2021
When it comes to state agency or accreditation organization surveys, preparation is key and preparing and implementing a plan of correction (PoC) can help ensure ongoing compliance and quality improvement (QI).
Read More >
BY PEARL DARLING | OCTOBER 2021
The Joint Commission defines a sentinel event as “a patient safety event that reaches a patient and results in any of the following: death, permanent harm, [or] severe temporary harm and intervention required to sustain life.”
Read More >
BY LISA BERUS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2020
Surgery centers never had to have a full respiratory protection program before now, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent use of respirators, they might soon have to write and implement one.
Read More >
BY RAY MARDEN | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2019
When a medical device arrives at an ASC it becomes subject to management under at least 14 different Elements of Performance (EP) within The Joint Commission (TJC) Environment of Care (EC) Standards, 2019 Environment of Care, Essentials for Health Care. However, it is important to understand that the requirements for all accrediting bodies stem from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) guidelines and are essentially the same from a medical equipment management perspective.
Read More >
BY GINA THRONEBERRY | JUNE-JULY 2018
In 2013, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a proposed rule to improve the tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses through the electronic collection of establishment-specific injury and illness data. After receiving comments on the proposal, OSHA issued the final rule that became effective January 1, 2017 (Occupational Safety and Health Administration 29 CFR Part 1904). For more information on the final rule, visit OSHA’s website. Although ASCs are partially exempt from some of the requirements in that rule, they are subject to a requirement that prohibits employers from discouraging workers from reporting an injury or illness.
Read More >
BY CRISTINA BENTIN | JUNE-JULY 2017
Despite extensive media coverage regarding the Department of Health & Human Services Office of Civil Rights (OCR) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) compliance audits and penalties, HIPAA compliance programs still are not given top billing in some ASCs.
Read More >