Message from the President
BY LARRY TAYLOR, CASC | AUGUST 2019
Ophthalmic surgical procedures have been the mainstay of surgical practices in ASCs for many years. Since the likelihood of cataract procedures is tied to the aging process, a great majority of cases are covered by Medicare. By age 65, more than 90 percent of the US population will have a cataract surgery. Women have more cataracts than men, and it is projected that the number of people with cataracts will double to 50 million by 2030. That is a lot of people who will need great surgery centers and surgeons to provide this service. I will be one of them.
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BY LARRY TAYLOR, CASC | MAY 2019
It doesn’t matter if you spell it orthopaedics or orthopedics, this specialty is very important to the ASC industry. As Baby Boomers, we have worn out our hyaline cartilage, torn our rotator cuffs and, in general, have worn out.
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BY LARRY TAYLOR, CASC | MARCH 2019
Use of technology has been increasing in surgery centers for many years. As we continue to meet the needs of surgeons and patients in the future, will technology be your friend or foe?
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BY LARRY TAYLOR, CASC | JANUARY 2019
Whether you are working with a single independent consumer or a representative from a workplace sponsored plan, today’s consumers are seeking decreased cost, increased quality and an improved experience in their health care encounters. How well are you prepared to meet their demands?
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BY LARRY TAYLOR, CASC | OCTOBER 2018
Data is changing the face of the world. To continuously improve, a business needs to collect data, analyze it and make changes based on that analysis. This process is critical for all businesses, but especially, the business of health care. Data collected over years helps a business influence its competitive advantage and sustainability.
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BY LARRY TAYLOR, CASC | AUGUST 2018
Greetings. As you might already know, I was elected president of ASCA’s Board of Directors this past April. As president, I look forward to using this space to discuss some of the important issues confronting ASCs and helping to define our practices and policies and the care we deliver to our patients.
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BY REBECCA CRAIG, RN, CASC | MAY 2018
Networking with participants at ASCA’s annual meetings each year always reminds me of the incredible people who work in this industry. Their passion and dedication for those we serve is inspiring. Once we “sharpen our saw” with this great educational opportunity each year, we return to our centers and look for areas of improvement. We need to continuously search for these opportunities in our quest to provide outstanding care and service to all our customers—our patients, physicians and team members—because this is what sets us apart.
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BY REBECCA CRAIG, RN, CASC | MARCH 2018
In its latest recommendations in June 2017, the US Multi-Society Task Force (MSTF) on Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Screening confirmed that people at average risk should be screened beginning at age 50. The task force— made up of representatives from the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Gastroenterological Association, and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy—recommended colonoscopy and fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) as the “first tier” screening tests for this group.
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BY REBECCA CRAIG, RN, CASC | JANUARY 2018
New Year’s greetings.
“The old order changeth, yielding place to new,” and along with the new, come changes. The ASC industry is known for its ability to be nimble and adapt quickly to the ever-changing health care landscape. This flexibility keeps us at the top of our game to ensure we continue to provide high-quality, cost-effective health care to our customers. We have no room in our industry for complacency or status quo. I encourage all of us to continuously be seeking improvements in our everyday activities and processes.
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