Editor's Note In this study by researchers at the Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, mass COVID-19 preprocedure testing detected positive asymptomatic patients who were missed by clinical screening alone. The median test turnaround time was 7.8 hours. Of 75, 528 preprocedure tests performed: 318 (0.4%) patients tested positive…

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Planning ahead isn’t always intuitive in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). However, when a business manager or clinical coordinator suddenly falls ill, announces plans to retire, or quits unexpectedly, ASC leaders need to respond nimbly and effectively. Someone has to step in and take over to make a seamless transition without…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on June 16 that the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) has launched a new Medication Safety Self Assessment for perioperative settings to gauge how well organizations are doing in protecting surgical patients from medication errors. The new tool, which is for hospitals, ambulatory…

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Editor's Note This study by researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s ambulatory surgery center, New York City, finds that remote measurement of patient-reported symptoms after surgery can improve outcomes and reduce postoperative urgent care and emergency department (ED) visits. The researchers developed an electronic platform and alert system, called…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced May 17 that it has extended the Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) program data submission deadline from Monday, May 17, to Monday, July 19, 2021. The extension provides ASCs with more time to obtain HARP [Health Care Quality…

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Amendments have been added to the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) standard ANSI/AAMI ST79, Comprehensive Guide to Steam Sterilization and Sterility Assurance in Health Care Facilities. The standard, which is used in healthcare facilities to guide their sterilization processes, is considered a useful resource to promote best…

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A global pandemic did not stop the proliferation of joint ventures between ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and hospitals in 2020. The trend continues in 2021, as federal regulators expand on the types of procedures that can be performed in the ambulatory setting. Hospitals are recognizing the need for a surgery…

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Editor's Note Opioids prescribed after outpatient surgery are going down, but still do not meet expert recommendations, a new study from Epic Health Research Network finds. The researchers examined the median number of opioid tablets prescribed after outpatient surgical procedures between January 2017 and December 2020. For four orthopedic procedures,…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration, on April 30, identified the recall of the Alaris Infusion Pump Module 8100 as Class I, the most serious. The Pacific Medical Group (DBA Avante Health Solutions) is recalling the infusion pump because the front bezel components may crack or separate, leading to…

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Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) tend to operate in lean environments, a factor that can impact training and education, whether it’s a refresher for current employees or part of the onboarding process for new hires. Maintaining robust education programs during a global pandemic that has reduced in-person training and imposed restrictions…

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