Editor's Note In 2014, 58% of the 17.2 million hospital-based surgical procedures took place in outpatient settings, according to a report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The report, which helps to quantify ongoing shifts to more outpatient surgical procedures, found that the most common outpatient procedures…

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Linens and textiles may not be as exciting as the latest spinal device or miracle drug, but they are a mainstay of every healthcare setting. Quality matters, and costs associated with these high-use items can make a difference in a facility’s overall expenses. It’s essential to evaluate the best way…

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Editor's Note The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) on May 3 announced the release of a new toolkit to help ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) make care safer for their patients. The Toolkit to Improve Safety in Ambulatory Surgery Centers incorporates the core concepts of AHRQ’s Comprehensive Unit-based Safety…

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Editor's Note In this study, researchers developed a predictive model that can help identify patients at higher risk for prolonged postanesthesia care unit (PACU) stay after outpatient surgery. Data on 4,151 patients at the University of California, San Diego Healthcare Systems, from 2014 to 2015, was split into a training…

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Editor's Note The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) on May 8 announced the release of its new Opioid Stewardship Toolkit to help providers review and assess the volume and length of opioid prescriptions and dosages to mitigate risk of patient overdose and death. AAAHC created the toolkit to…

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Editor's Note Obese Class II and III were associated with an independent risk of pulmonary complications after outpatient surgery in this study. Of 444,532 patients included in this analysis, there were 996 all cause pulmonary complications. Binary logistic regression identified body mass index (BMI) as an independent predictor of a…

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Editor's Note Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) graduate medical students will now receive part of their resident training at MEDARVA Healthcare’s ambulatory surgery center (ASC) in Richmond, the April 19 Virginia Business reports. Residents in eight programs will rotate through Stony Point Surgery Center with VCU surgeons who use the facility.…

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What began as an employee request to reduce waste and create a “greener” workplace has resulted in an international award for TRIA Orthopedic Center, Bloomington, Minnesota. By conserving materials and energy, the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) not only reduced its environmental impact, but also saved money. The initiative started with…

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Editor's Note Outpatient laparoscopic appendectomy is safe in a public safety net hospital and results in shorter length of stay and decreased healthcare costs, this study finds. A total of 351 patients were enrolled in the study: 173 outpatients and 178 inpatient controls. Of the 173 outpatients, 113 were discharged…

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Editor's Note A March 23 report by Axios finds “massive consolidation among ambulatory surgery centers” (ASCs), and more is expected because about half of some 5,500 ASCs are not owned by chains. ASCs are becoming a target for acquisition because they are high-profit organizations. Recent financial reports show: Envision Healthcare (260…

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