AS I SEE IT
BY TESS POLAND, RN | JUNE-JULY 2022
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released updated guidance on how to comply with COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Health Care Providers and Suppliers. This new Conditions for Coverage (CfC) requirement can be found under 42 CFR §416.51(c) Conditions for coverage - Infection control; Standard: COVID-19 vaccination of staff.
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BY NATALIE HOLT, MD, AND BETH HOGAN, RN | MAY 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has put enormous strain on all aspects of the healthcare industry, including ASCs. Confronted with an increasing supply of information, healthcare leaders need tools that help synthesize data and allow them to make informed decisions.
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BY DANIEL B. FRIER AND MICHELLE L. GREENBERG | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
Perhaps more than any other factor, the success of an ASC depends on the surgeon-owners who refer and perform cases there.
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BY KYLIE KACZOR, CASC, AND KELSEY MOORE | OCTOBER 2021
Encouraged by growing interest in consumerism and the need for healthcare cost containment, the US Department of Health & Human Services adopted a new hospital price transparency rule that went into effect January 1 this year.
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BY JAMES MCCLUNG, RN | SEPTEMBER 2021
ASC owners, managers and staff have a goal: deliver high-quality, cost-effective care. This shared mission helps define the vision that true ASC leaders aim to accomplish as they work to motivate others to stay focused on the purpose behind these centers.
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BY TONY BREITLOW | JUNE-JULY 2021
“So, can it be done?” A healthcare client asked me this question after we surveyed a building they were considering for a new specialty care procedure center and clinic.
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BY BRIAN O’DEA AND GAUTAM BHANUSHALI, MD | MAY 2021
At Nephrology Associates of Northern Illinois and Indiana (NANI), our goal has always been to improve the patient care experience and bring kidney care closer to home.
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BY KRIS SABO, RN | APRIL 2021
The following is a common story heard throughout the 5,900-plus ASCs across the US. Your 60-something ASC administrator who has been with your organization forever is ready to retire.
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BY SCOTT JACKSON AND BENJAMIN HIGH | MARCH 2021
ASCs are one of the fastest growing segments of the healthcare industry and visits to outpatient centers continue to increase, according to a Grand View Research report.
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BY MARK WAINNER | JANUARY 2021
When COVID-19 began threatening the health of our nation, the ASC community was impacted immediately. Consistent with the guidelines issued by the US surgeon general and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in March 2019, all nonessential elective procedures were postponed.
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BY REBECCA CRAIG, RN, CASC, AND CASSIE SEILER, RN | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2020
In the ASC community, we follow safety protocols of many kinds each and every day to keep our patients out of harm’s way.
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BY CATHLEEN M. MCCABE, MD | OCTOBER 2020
The world has changed rapidly and profoundly for all of us. Every aspect of our lives has been affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
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BY CINDY YOUNG, RN, CASC | SEPTEMBER 2020
Colorectal cancer, a highly preventable and treatable disease, causes the second highest number of cancer deaths in the US, according to the American Cancer Society.
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BY SHELDON S. SONES | AUGUST 2020
When an ASC’s controlled drug license is set to expire and requires renewal, the surgery center has options for the go-forward “registrant” designation.
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BY SCOTT JACKSON AND KEN DIEBNER | JUNE-JULY 2020
Reprocessing single-use devices provides many benefits for ASCs, including cost savings and a reduction of the waste a healthcare facility generates.
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BY THOMAS PINELLI | MAY 2020
With advances in surgeon technique and surgical equipment, orthopedics cases once performed in the inpatient setting only are safely migrating their way to the outpatient setting. ASCs with orthopedic programs are increasingly performing these more complex cases and for good reasons: Adding such cases can be an effective way to enhance surgical volume while also expanding the types of high-quality, lower-cost cases available for their patient community.
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BY KYLIE KACZOR AND MICHAEL WINKLEMAN | OCTOBER 2019
Telehealth, wearable health tracking devices, cloud-based services and a seemingly unending list of technological innovations dominate today’s headlines, and all areas of healthcare incorporate technology. Your ASC’s revenue cycle is no exception.
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BY CATHLEEN MCCABE, MD | AUGUST 2019
When we incorporate the act of giving into the business of our surgery centers and affiliated practices, the positive impacts magnify. Far outweighing the cost of lost chair time for paying patients, involvement in humanitarian activities enhances emotional intelligence, inspires effective teamwork and drives innovation and resourcefulness in your surgical team and the business of ophthalmology.
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BY DAREN SMITH | JUNE-JULY 2019
The purposes of quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI) for ASCs are quite clear. In fact, they are spelled out for you: “quality assurance,” meaning care is maintained at an acceptable level, and “performance improvement,” meaning changes are implemented to strengthen operations.
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BY AMANDA OLDEROG | MAY 2019
An aging population and high obesity rates continue to increase the prevalence of osteoarthritis and, subsequently, demand for joint replacements. In the next decade Sg2 projects 84 percent growth in hip and knee joint replacement surgery.
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BY SCOTT A. SIGMAN, MD | FEBRUARY 2019
Major advances in surgical techniques have enabled ASCs to perform a myriad of outpatient surgery procedures on millions of Americans. Many challenges, however, still exist in adequately managing postsurgical pain while minimizing negative outcomes in the ASC setting.
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BY CHRIS BISHOP | JANUARY 2019
While movement toward shared savings, shared risk and shared responsibility is paving the way for bundled payments, early adopters in the practice and ASC market have found that moving from concept to execution is extremely complicated.
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BY ROBERT B. NELSON | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2018
Relocating an ASC is not easy. I can say this quite confidently as my facility completed a relocation in 2017. It was a substantial amount of work—and this was on top of a tragedy that tested the resolve of our entire staff and demonstrated firsthand the importance of careful planning.
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BY KYLIE KACZOR, RN, CASC | OCTOBER 2018
While guidance for licensure proceedings, facility accreditation and Medicare certification is readily available to new ASCs, what ASCs new and old often overlook are the current and pending state regulations and constant shifts in the health care marketplace.
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BY CINDY YOUNG, RN, CASC | SEPTEMBER 2018
In March 2018, ASCA invited me to join One World Surgery at its ASC in Honduras to help kick off ASCA’s new scholarship program. The scholarship program is designed to help people who want to go on a medical mission trip but cannot finance the trip on their own. ASCA uses revenue derived from its affinity partners program to fund this scholarship program.
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BY RENA COURTAY, RN, CASC | AUGUST 2018
I have spent the last 28 years working alongside physicians who are, primarily, surgeons. As you can imagine, this experience has provided me with quite a few anecdotes about physician behavior.
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BY JOHN WELLS | JUNE-JULY 2018
While single-use equipment is not new in health care, the kinds of instruments and related devices going the route of “one and done” are changing.
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BY MARIA C. SCOTT, MD | MAY 2018
What do ophthalmic surgeons want in an ASC?
We frequently hear this question from ASCs that are considering adding ophthalmic surgery as a specialty.
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BY JESSICA EDMISTON AND WENDY HORTON | APRIL 2018
Historically, cardiology and vascular procedures were performed exclusively in a hospital setting. Nearly 20 years ago, however, many of these procedures began migrating to outpatient settings, such as renal dialysis centers, catheterization labs and endovascular labs, otherwise known as office-based vascular interventional laboratories (OBLs). The primary drivers for this movement included convenience, shorter appointment wait times and better outcomes for patients; greater control of technology and staffing, plus improved reimbursement, for physician owners of OBLs; and significant cost savings for payers.
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BY ANN SARIEGO AND LORI TRZCINSKI | MARCH 2018
In February 2000, President Bill Clinton officially dedicated the month of March as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Since then, it has grown to be a true rallying point for the colon cancer community. Every year, thousands of patients, survivors, caregivers and advocates throughout the community join together to spread colon cancer awareness by wearing blue, holding fundraising and educational events, and talking to friends and family about screening.
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BY DEBRA STINCHCOMB AND REGINA BOORE | OCTOBER 2017
The minimum requirement for a preop history and physical (H&P) is well defined in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Conditions for Coverage (CfC).
- According to §416.52 Conditions for Coverage Q-0261 (Rev. 71, Issued: 05-13-11, Effective: 5-13-11-Implementation: 05-13- 11) §416.52(a) Standard: Admission and Pre-surgical Assessment: Not more than 30 days before the date of the scheduled surgery, each patient must have a comprehensive medical history and physical assessment completed by a physician (as defined in section 1861(r) of the Act) or other qualified practitioner in accordance with applicable State health and safety laws, standards of practice, and ASC policy. (Please check your state and accrediting body requirements to ensure you will not be held to a more stringent timeframe).
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BY ANN GEIER, RN, CASC | JUNE-JULY 2017
Every time a patient enters a surgery center, they entrust their life to the facility and its staff. A patient rightfully expects that every precaution will be taken to keep them safe while in the center’s care. Strict policies and procedures are in place to ensure that everyone, physicians included, follows patient safety rules.
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BY LINDSAY MCQUEENEY HANRAHAN | APRIL 2017
Thanks to advances in technology, many historically complex orthopedic and spine procedures have become much less invasive. As a result, many of these cases are now well-suited for outpatient environments, especially ASCs, which have a strong track record of affordable, quality care and positive patient outcomes.
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BY TERRY BOHLKE, CASC, AND BRANDON FAZIO | JANUARY 2017
Mike Williams is production manager for a small manufacturing company in middle Tennessee. He and his wife bring home around $52,000 per year, which is the average annual income for families in the US. Mike and his family get their health coverage from an exchange plan that costs $13,000 per year, or about one-fourth of their annual income, before providing any actual health services. Earlier this year, Mike injured his knee playing football with his two sons, which earned him a visit to an orthopedic surgeon and the need for a knee arthroscopy. After receiving a quote from the hospital for $9,200 and considering his $5,000 deductible and 20 percent coinsurance, Mike decided to live with his knee pain.
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