ASCA 2019
BY RACHEL UZLIK AND GARY WYARD, MD | MAY 2019
During the past several decades, the US has experienced increasing problems with opioid abuse. To counter the epidemic, we conducted a study to identify internal improvement processes throughout one of the largest orthopedic practices in the US and its affiliated ASCs to promote and drive change in opioid-prescribing patterns in their physicians.
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BY LISA PETRUSKY, RN, CASC | APRIL 2019
If you are planning to add vascular procedures to your ASC, I recommend you attend my session “Should You Perform Vascular Procedures in Your ASC?” at the ASCA 2019 Conference & Expo, May 15–18, in Nashville, Tennessee.
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BY KELLY BARKER | MARCH 2019
Are you considering taking on a new service line in your ASC? During my presentation, “Make Data-Driven Decisions: Use Breakeven Analysis Before You Invest” at the ASCA 2019 Conference & Expo, May 15–18, in Nashville, Tennessee, I will share insight on how to make the best decisions when purchasing or leasing new equipment for your facility.
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BY STANFORD R. PLAVIN, MD | FEBRUARY 2019
As a practicing anesthesiologist with 20-plus years of clinical experience in both the hospital and ASC practice environments, I have witnessed patient expectations changing dramatically. I have experienced the challenges associated with providing a relatively “pain free” patient care experience.
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BY MICHELLE GEORGE | JANUARY 2019
Setting expectations is the foundation for effective employee performance and a basic responsibility of every leader in our industry. After almost eight years of teaching clinical leaders the techniques of coaching, I am amazed to find that less than 10 percent of people in each class raise their hand when asked the question “Has your supervisor reviewed their expectations with you since you started in this role?”
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ASCA 2018
BY NADER SAMII | MAY 2018
Going . . . going . . . gone! Everyone wants the homerun hitting hero on their team. And, for many years, professional baseball teams paid big money to sign up the likes of Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Alex Rodriguez and Sammy Sosa.
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BY MATTHEW HUMBARGER | APRIL 2018
Managed care contracts determine how and if you get paid and have a direct impact on the financial viability of your ASC. In my presentation, “Negotiate Better Managed Care Contracts,” at ASCA 2018, April 11–14, in Boston, Massachusetts, I will describe the basic constructs of a managed care contract, how to formulate a contracting strategy and how to execute that strategy successfully.
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BY LAURA SCHNEIDER RN, CASC | MARCH 2018
The ECRI Institute has listed endoscope reprocessing on its “Top 10 Health Technology Hazards” list for the last eight years, and endoscope-related infections have been in the news frequently during this time. According to William Rutala, director of the Statewide Program for Infection Control and Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, “There are more outbreaks from the use of endoscopes than any other medical device due to the complexity of the instrument and microbial contamination.”
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BY WILLIAM BERRY, MD | FEBRUARY 2018
Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (Team- STEPPS) is an evidence-based set of teamwork tools aimed at optimizing patient outcomes by improving communication and teamwork skills among health care professionals.
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BY SHEREE LEPPINEN | JANUARY 2018
Interest in performing cardiac procedures in the outpatient setting is growing, and the Heart and Rhythm Institute of Trinity is at the forefront of the movement. Although the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) does not yet reimburse ASCs for these procedures, many managed care companies do. With an increasing number of outpatient centers providing cardiac procedures, growing awareness of the cost savings and the positive experiences that patients report, the chances of cardiac procedures being performed in ASCs is rising.
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ASCA 2017
BY MARCUS CRIDER | MAY 2017
Does your ASC have a social media policy? Or does your center want a social media policy but not know where to begin? If you answered “yes” to either of those questions, you need to attend my presentation, “Social Media Issues from an HR Perspective,” at ASCA 2017, May 3–6, in Washington, DC.
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BY DAVID SHAPIRO, MD, CASC | APRIL 2017
ASCs will need to start collecting data to report the ASC-13: Normothermia Outcome measure as part of their quality measure reporting in 2018. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) adopted the measure as a part of its final 2017 ASC Payment Rule released in November 2016.
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BY DAREN SMITH | MARCH 2017
In many independent and small ASCs, in an effort to keep staffing costs low, members of the ASC team with clinical backgrounds are tasked with managing supply orders and inventory. An experienced, dedicated materials manager is never hired. With a lack of materials management experience, however, clinical staff members put in charge of materials can be challenged with developing and using effective purchasing processes. The result can easily be wasted money and time.
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BY MICHELLE GEORGE, RN, CASC | FEBRUARY2017
Clinical benchmarking can seem daunting at first glance, and yet, it can serve as a very effective tool in driving clinical excellence in health care organizations. I will discuss how to design and implement a successful clinical benchmarking program in the ASC setting at ASCA 2017, May 3–5, in Washington, DC.
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BY LEANA D. MCGUIRE | JANUARY 2017
As our work force becomes increasingly diverse, it is important to keep in mind that most of us tend to treat others in the way we like to be treated—essentially applying The Golden Rule. This approach, however, might be outdated and not the most productive way to conduct business in a multi-generational work environment. In my presentation “Communicating in a Multi-Generational Workforce,” at ASCA 2017, May 3–6, in Washington, DC, I will discuss a total of four generations— the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Millennials— and answer the question, “What makes each of us tick?”
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ASCA 2016
BY JENNIFER BUTTERFIELD, CASC | MAY 2016
RNs in the ASC setting are being asked to provide moderate or “conscious” sedation when anesthesia practitioners, such as anesthesiologists (MDA), certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA) or anesthesiologist assistants (AA), are not available. Lack of availability might be due to a regional shortage, a patient request to avoid the expense, the refusal of an insurance provider to cover anesthesia services or other reasons specific to an ASC’s practices.
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BY BETH CHRISMER | APRIL 2016
Hospital emergency rooms deal with potentially violent,aggressive patients and family members almost daily. In the ASC setting, we are not well-prepared to handle this type of an event. Our ASC experienced a random act of violence, and I will discuss workplace violence in the ASC setting at ASCA 2016, May 19–22, in Dallas, Texas.
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BY JUDY HARLESS, CASC | MARCH 2016
Recent Deloitte research shows that culture, engagement and employee retention are now the top talent challenges facing business leaders. Why has “culture” become the mantra for business leaders? Unemployment rates are at an all-time low, leading prospective talent to be selective when considering employment opportunities.
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