Ambulatory Surgery
Session: Infection Prevention Surveillance and Data Collection in the ASC
Editor's Note Only 26 states require the reporting of surgical site infections (SSIs) to either the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) or the state, Lisa Berus, MSN, MEd, RN, CAIP, CNAMB, CASSPT, senior director at SCA Health, explained in this two-part breakout session.…
ACS comments on colonoscopy study
Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) on October 11 issued comments on a European study examining colonoscopies that was published October 9 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study, which looked at colonoscopies in Sweden, Poland, Norway, and the Netherlands, seemed to question the effectiveness of…
Study: Routine use of anesthesia personnel in cataract surgery questioned
Editor's Note This study led by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, finds that it may be reasonable to consider performing cataract surgery without routine anesthesia support. Medicare claims for 36,652 patients who had cataract surgery were analyzed. Among the findings: 89.8% had an anesthesia provider, compared to…
Survey: Relatively flat compensation in an era of many stressors
Compensation has remained relatively flat for leaders in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), according to the 2022 OR Manager Salary/Career Survey, even as leaders face ongoing stressors. This is reflected in the 40% of respondents who reported a total current annual compensation of $120,000 or more—unchanged from 2021. Ongoing stress is…
CMS quality reporting update for ASCs
A lot has happened with ASC quality measure reporting in the last 2 years, especially this year, says Gina Throneberry, MBA, RN, CNOR, CASC, director, education and clinical affairs, Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA). Throneberry spoke at the ASCA annual conference in April. In the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid…
Developing a surveillance program for SSIs in ASCs
The CDC’s healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevalence survey estimated that 110,800 surgical site infections (SSIs) were connected with inpatient procedures in 2015. As of 2020, Advancing Surgical Care reported that there are around 5,700 Medicare-certified ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) in the US. Of these, only 6 states require ASCs to use…
AORN: New Guideline for Processing Flexible Endoscopes recommends drying cabinets
Editor's Note The recently revised “Guideline for Processing Flexible Endoscopes” recommends that flexible endoscopes be stored in drying cabinets, the September 14 Periop Today reports. The explanation for this new recommendation includes: Optimal storage facilitates drying and decreases the potential for contamination. Studies on drying cabinets, which circulate HEPA-filtered air…
AHA releases report on rural hospital closures
Editor's Note A new report was released by the American Hospital Association (AHA) highlighting numerous causes that resulted in 136 rural hospitals closing from 2010 to 2021, including 19 closures in 2020, AHA September 8 reports. These closures can be attributed to longstanding pressures, including low reimbursement, staffing shortages, low…
Last chance to nominate a peer for OR Manager Conference awards
Editor's Note The upcoming OR Manager Conference in Denver, Colorado, is almost here. The conference will be held on October 17-19, and the full conference brochure is now available online here: 2022 ORMC Brochure. As part of the program, the OR Manager community will be honoring outstanding leaders who have…
Survey: ASC leaders see staffing challenges with rising volume
As organizations adapt to COVID-19 and the number of severe cases eases in many areas of the country, leaders in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are seeing a significant uptick in volume of surgical procedures, according to the 2022 OR Manager Salary/Career Survey. More than half (56%) reported increased volume in…
Free Daily News
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- Dissolvable pacemaker delivers temporary cardiac support without wires, surgery
- CSA taps Milagro’s AI coding to accelerate revenue cycle across ASC network
- Study: Cannabis use complicates sedation, cancer care
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- First single-port robotic renal vein transposition surgery treats nutcracker syndrome
- Study: Mortality prediction models fail to recognize severe patient injuries