Message from the CEO

Rely on ASCA’s Virtual Education to Help You Navigate 2021

BY BILL PRENTICE | APRIL 2021

As the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out continues, we are regularly reminded that developing a vaccine and planning its distribution in less than a year is uncharted territory for most government officials.

In the Pipeline from ASCA this Year

BY BILL PRENTICE | FEBRUARY 2021

ASCA members can look forward to a variety of resources, new and old, this new year.

Onward and Upward

BY BILL PRENTICE | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2020

2020 has been an unusual year, to say the least. As the country continues to battle COVID-19 and we get used to the new normal, the end of the year seems like a good time to thank our members for their support in ASCA’s advocacy efforts.

Impact of Deferring Elective Surgeries

BY BILL PRENTICE | SEPTEMBER 2020

The COVID-19 lockdown halted elective surgeries and moved most routine care online. This difficult step was necessary to save space in hospitals for those who needed immediate care and to make sure that our healthcare workers had sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE).

News You Can Use

BY BILL PRENTICE | JUNE-JULY 2020

As I write this column, we are in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. ASCA continues to work with the Trump administration and Congress to ensure ASCs can fully support COVID-19 response efforts across the country.

Help Your Patients Avoid Surprise Medical Bills

BY BILL PRENTICE | APRIL 2020

Whether you are talking to your patients, friends or family members, chances are someone has a story about a time they, or someone they know, received a medical bill they were not expecting. It also is likely that at least some of those invoices were for a significant amount of money.

Invest Your Time and Money Wisely, Join ASCA in Orlando this Spring

BY BILL PRENTICE | FEBRUARY 2020

If you haven’t already registered for the ASCA 2020 Conference & Expo, May 13–16, in Orlando, Florida, I encourage you to sign up today. If you register before March 13, you will still qualify for early registration rates.

Are You on Top of Your Emergency Preparedness Plan?

BY BILL PRENTICE | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2019

One of the themes of this issue of ASC Focus is “emergency preparedness,” and as I write this column, Hurricane Dorian has just decimated parts of the Bahamas and created havoc along its entire path.

Take Advantage of ASCA Resources

BY BILL PRENTICE | SEPTEMBER 2019

As the year wraps up and you are busy tying up loose ends, I want to remind you of two important tools from ASCA that could help your outcomes next year.

Add Quality

BY BILL PRENTICE | JUNE-JULY 2019

One of the themes of this issue of ASC Focus is “quality improvement” and I’d like you to take a minute and reflect on what you are doing to keep your ASC staff abreast of current regulatory and operational requirements. Keeping current on these requirements can improve your ASC’s patient outcomes.

Transparency to a T

BY BILL PRENTICE | APRIL 2019

While consumers can compare prices and make informed decisions before buying myriad products and services, cost and quality of health care services are not easily available. That needs to change.

Combating the Opioid Crisis

BY BILL PRENTICE | FEBRUARY 2019

As the country grapples with a tragic opioid epidemic, the government and ASCA are working to support a comprehensive solution to address the abuse and misuse of pain-killers. According to the US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), opioid overdoses accounted for more than 42,000 deaths in 2016, more than any previous year on record.

ASC Advocates Talk to Congress about Quality and Price Transparency

BY BILL PRENTICE | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2018

Late in September, two Capitol Hill hearings provided opportunities for ASC supporters to talk with members of Congress about the value that ASCs provide to patients and the need for improved quality and price transparency in health care.

Proposed Rule a Victory for the ASC Community

BY BILL PRENTICE | SEPTEMBER 2018

This year is shaping up to be a momentous one for the ASC community. One important reason for that is the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed 2019 ASC payment rule issued in July. That proposal suggests sweeping changes to Medicare’s ASC policies.

ASCA Offers New Programs to its Members

BY BILL PRENTICE | JUNE-JULY 2018

Now that the annual meeting is behind us—and I hope all of you who were able to join us returned home with useful takeaways in the form of new ideas, information and connections—I want to share two new programs with you.

New Credential Recognizes Infection Prevention Expertise

BY BILL PRENTICE | APRIL 2018

ASC professionals with specialized knowledge and skills in infection prevention can now demonstrate their expertise through an infection prevention certification program introduced this year by the Board of Ambulatory Surgery Certification (BASC). The new Certified Ambulatory Infection Preventionist (CAIP) program also provides an opportunity for infection preventionists (IP) working in the ASC setting to distinguish themselves from IPs who work in other settings and to demonstrate their commitment to best practices in infection prevention and control.

Are you Ready for ASCA 2018?

BY BILL PRENTICE | FEBRUARY 2018

As all of us here at ASCA are gearing up for ASCA 2018, April 11–14, in Boston, I want to encourage anyone who hasn’t already registered for this meeting to sign up now.

ASCA Comments on CMS’ Proposed Payment Rule

BY BILL PRENTICE | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2017

In early September, ASCA submitted formal comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Medicare’s proposed 2018 ASC payment rule. Also known as the 2018 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System proposed rule, it recommends ASC reimbursement rates for the coming year and other payment policies, including Medicare quality reporting requirements.

2018 Proposed Rule Shows Results of ASCA’s Hard Work

BY BILL PRENTICE | SEPTEMBER 2017

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its 2018 proposed payment rule for ASCs and hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) in July. While the proposal did not address all of ASCA’s concerns regarding Medicare reimbursement for ASC services, it did show a greater recognition of the evolution in care being provided in ASCs.

Patient Safety and Policies that Decide Your Payments

BY BILL PRENTICE | JUNE-JULY 2017

This June-July issue of ASC Focus brings you articles on two key operational areas in your ASC: patient safety and marketing. Read a column on patient safety on page 8; learn about the most challenging accreditation guidelines related to medication management on page 10; find out how best to work with compounding pharmacies on page 14; consider ways to win over patients through engagement on page 16; and read about a screening colonoscopy program in a Missouri ASC that is seeing early success.

An ASC Wish List

BY BILL PRENTICE | APRIL 2017

With a new administration in the White House, a new secretary at the US Department of Health and Human Services and health care front and center in Congress, one thing is certain: change is on the horizon.

Make This the Year You Get Involved

BY BILL PRENTICE | FEBRUARY 2017

This issue of ASC Focus magazine looks at ASC advocacy and gives you insights into the agenda that ASCA will press with legislators, regulators and other policymakers this year. This issue also provides you with background on the members of our Government Affairs team who dedicate their time to advocating on your ASC’s behalf. I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the members of this team and ASCA’s advocacy agenda, and then, to find ways that you can be more involved.

What to Watch in 2017

BY BILL PRENTICE | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2016

Although January might be a more traditional time to begin forecasting hot topics and new developments that might affect ASCs in the coming year, a number of articles in this edition address emerging issues that will lead surgery centers in important new directions in 2017.

ASCs Provide $38 Billion in Savings, More Is Possible

BY BILL PRENTICE | SEPTEMBER 2016

If you read the email messages that ASCA sends its members each week and follow the news about ASCs, you likely already know that a study released in June shows that ASCs currently reduce private health insurance spending by $38 billion each year. That study also concludes that $5 billion of that savings goes directly to patients through lower deductibles and coinsurance payments.

Using Medicare’s ASC Quality Reports

BY BILL PRENTICE | AUGUST 2016

In 2016, Medicare released its most comprehensive ASC quality data reports to date. These reports are built on data that ASCs have been submitting to Medicare since 2012. For the first time, the reports provide the public with information on a set of ASC quality measures that, in addition to some key process measures, like the use of a safe surgery checklist, provide data on actual outcomes measures like patient burns, wrongsite surgeries and patient falls.

New this Year from ASCA

BY BILL PRENTICE | JUNE-JULY 2016

With nearly half of 2016 behind us, now is a good time to review some of the innovative projects and outreach efforts that ASCA has been involved with this year.

New HIPAA Workbook for ASCs. To help ASCs comply with all of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) requirements, ASCA provided all of its facility and corporate members with a free HIPAA compliance workbook this spring. This workbook, developed specifically for ASCs, includes an in-depth review of the HIPAA requirements and a comprehensive set of customizable forms and worksheets that you can use to design, evaluate and strengthen your ASC’s compliance program.

Use Social Media to Promote Your ASC

BY BILL PRENTICE | MAY 2016

ASCA has developed a video, “What Is an ASC?,” that explains ASCs in clear and concise terms. We have posted the video on ASCA’s Advancing Surgical Care Campaign web site and on ASCA’s YouTube channel. I encourage you to share the video with your community by directing them to that site or by adding the video to your own web site.

Be a Member, Get Exclusive Resources and Services for Your ASC

BY BILL PRENTICE | APRIL 2016

ASCs that renew their ASCA membership for 2016 and ASCs that are joining for the first time this year now have a valuable new resource at their fingertips: the HIPAA Workbook for ASCs. This workbook is designed specifically for ASCs and offers a comprehensive set of tools and information that your ASC can use to comply with all of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) requirements. ASCA is providing this new resource free to all facility and corporate members this year to add value to the rich benefits package we already offer and to support ASCA members in adopting best practices in HIPAA compliance.

ASCs Instrumental in Increasing NYC Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates

BY BILL PRENTICE | MARCH 2016

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and I have good news to share: ASCs in New York City (NYC) took part in a citywide initiative that increased the rate of colorectal cancer screening by colonoscopy in the city from 42 percent to 69 percent between 2003 and 2011. During the same eight-year period, that initiative also helped eliminate racial and ethnic screening disparities among black, white, Hispanic and Asian New Yorkers. Now a new task force has set its sights even higher, and has a strategy to bring NYC’s screening rate up to 80 percent.

Plan Now to Join ASCA in Dallas this May

BY BILL PRENTICE | FEBRUARY 2016

ASCA’s annual meeting this year will take place Thursday through Sunday, May 19–22, at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Dallas, Texas. If you haven’t registered already, I encourage you to make plans now to attend.

Superior Quality Care and Patient Safety Top ASCA’s 2016 Agenda

BY BILL PRENTICE | JANUARY 2016

New Year’s greetings. I hope all of you had a successful 2015 and are looking forward to the year ahead.

In 2016, ASCA is embarking on a new strategic plan that was developed with your needs and priorities in mind. The ASCA Board and staff will use this plan to guide our activities and the issues that we work on over the next three years on your behalf.