Message from the President
BY MICHAEL PATTERSON | MAY 2022
It is that time of year when the cold weather starts to ease a bit and we find ourselves outdoors and looking forward to summer. One thing to consider at this time is how to maintain the safety of family and friends while participating in our favorite outdoor activities. It also is a great time to review and update the patient safety protocols and procedures at our facilities.
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BY MICHAEL PATTERSON | MARCH 2022
After two years of offering our annual conference virtually, all of us at ASCA are excited to be back in person next month for the ASCA 2022 Conference & Expo in Dallas, Texas, April 27–30.
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BY MICHAEL PATTERSON | JANUARY 2022
This is the time of year when we start to find out what the new year will look like, how our budgets will match expectations, what our volumes will be and all the other details that go with planning for the year. For those of you that thought the fiscal year 2021 budget process was going to be a challenge, welcome to 2022.
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BY MICHAEL PATTERSON | OCTOBER 2021
Telehealth use has increased to 38 times its pre-COVID-19 baseline, according to McKinsey & Company. A year ago, $250 billion of US healthcare spend was estimated to be shifted to virtual care; post COVID-19, telehealth could be a quarter-trillion-dollar industry.
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BY MICHAEL PATTERSON | AUGUST 2021
The COVID-19 global pandemic has certainly showed us that communication is key when working through opportunities and challenges alike. While several aspects of how we do business changed, the need to communicate with our legislators was ever present as we worked to meet the needs of our communities during this public health emergency.
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BY MICHAEL PATTERSON | MAY 2021
As millions of Americans get their COVID-19 vaccination, mortality rates connected to the virus have receded, but the infection rate continues to rise in many states. If you are operating on a patient who has recently recovered from the disease, do you know when it is safe for them to have anesthesia?
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BY MICHAEL PATTERSON | MARCH 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the world in myriad ways. The healthcare supply chain was not an exception and experienced major disruptions this past year.
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BY MICHAEL PATTERSON | JANUARY 2021
As excited as we are about leaving 2020 in our rearview mirror, we have most likely come to the realization that 2021 will hold its own set of challenges and opportunities.
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BY MICHAEL PATTERSON | OCTOBER 2020
As the world works out how to live with COVID-19, we, the healthcare providers and facilities, have an obligation to keep our patients informed, safe and educated.
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BY LARRY TAYLOR, CASC | AUGUST 2020
Exceptional patient care and safety have always been the top priorities for ASCs, and that has not changed since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared.
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BY LARRY TAYLOR, CASC | MAY 2020
The COVID-19 battle rages on as the nation and its healthcare system struggle to get ahead of the pandemic.
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BY LARRY TAYLOR, CASC | MARCH 2020
ASCA 2020 is right around the corner, and I hope you are making plans to attend one of the finest ASC educational and networking events of the year.
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BY LARRY TAYLOR, CASC | JANUARY 2020
Without excellence in clinical care, we will, over time, become extinct. Just being the lower-cost provider is useless without the best clinical outcomes. When we combine these two pillars of the industry—lower cost and clinical excellence—we create value for our stakeholders.
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BY LARRY TAYLOR, CASC | OCTOBER 2019
Summer is over and I see back-to-school product marketing all around. That makes me think about how rarely we see ads for surgery centers or specials in healthcare.
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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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