Financial challenges may have eased slightly for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), according to the 22nd annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey. Only 29% of ASC managers report financial difficulties because of current economic conditions, much lower than the 43% in 2010. Reasons cited for those financial difficulties have changed in the…

A weak economy continues to affect staffing in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), according to the 22nd annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey, with about 80% of nurse managers saying staff turnover stayed the same compared to 12 months ago, similar to 2011 results. Other staffing parameters are also similar to last…

Like their older, larger, and sicker fellow patients, children can be candidates for outpatient surgery, and some ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) opt to specialize in treating the younger set. There is more to expanding an ASC’s patient base to pediatrics than putting a few toys in the waiting room (although…

With obesity increasing across the country, it is not surprising that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) also is on the rise. For ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), obesity offers a major—but not the only—clue that a patient may have, or be at risk for, OSA. A common health risk of obesity, OSA…

With the early issuance of quality reporting codes for Medicare, both ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have a chance to develop expertise in their use and to resolve any technical problems before the mandatory start date of October 1, 2012. And that…

While the deadline for beginning to report quality measures on Medicare claim forms is not until October 1, 2012, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) can start practicing. On April 1, 2012, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a set of reporting codes for the first 5 measures. The…

Infection control is in the spotlight again, as ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) examine a draft Health and Human Services (HHS) document calling for closer scrutiny of precautions in outpatient settings. The agency released a draft of Phase 2 of its National Action Plan to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) on April…

The downside of scientific advances is that we come to depend on them and assume they will always be available. In the case of lifesaving pharmaceutical products, that has not been true for a long time. Ambulatory surgery centers (ASC), because of their relatively low purchasing power and lack of…

A new resource has emerged to help ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) manage the proliferating requirements they face in achieving and demonstrating performance. It is the quality council. “Another meeting?” one might ask. “Another task that does not include hands-on patient care?” Actually, a well-run quality council can save time, ensure…

The impact of health care reform on ambulatory surgery centers (ASC)—like that on health care in general—is still uncertain. But plenty of other factors are at work that are likely to play a role in shaping the industry’s future. While the dramatic growth of the 1990s has largely abated, a…