Four letters that strike fear into the heart of any administrator of an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) are T-A-S-S, or toxic anterior segment syndrome. This complication of cataract surgery has been around for years, but news of an outbreak in 2006 brought it to the forefront. A new report of…

No cost is too small to escape the eyes of managers at Evansville Surgery Center in Evansville, Indiana, which shaved about $100,000 from its supply budget in the past year as part of an overall $417,000 reduction in variable costs. Evansville has 2 multispecialty surgery centers that perform about 9,900…

Timing will be everything for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) getting ready for Medicare's new ASC payment system. The biggest payment overhaul in 20 years is slated to take effect Jan 1, 2008. But the final rule is not expected until this month or later, giving ASCs a short time to…

At the FASA meeting in New Orleans in May, speakers from outside the health care field struck a common chord: ASCs have a great story to tell, one that combines cost-effective care with excellent outcomes. Speakers encouraged attendees to tell their story to politicians, legislatures, and the general public. One…

Third in a series of articles on improving revenue. You've made sure you're doing all you can at the front end to line up your procedures for correct reimbursement—your staff is clued in to ask the right questions during scheduling and is meticulous about insurance verification and precertification, which were…

Second in a series of articles on improving revenue. Being paid the right amount for your services starts before a procedure is even performed. Scheduling, insurance verification, and precertification are all crucial to making sure your ambulatory surgery center (ASC) receives the proper reimbursement. Your surgery scheduler and insurance verification…

With supplies and staffing being an ambulatory surgery center's 2 major costs, no ASC can afford to be without a good strategy for managing its inventory and supply costs. Strong partnerships, teamwork with physicians, a relentless focus on cost management, and smart use of technology are some of the ways…

Researchers have developed a scoring system they say can help identify patients at risk for admission after outpatient surgery: Outpatient surgery admission index Assign 1 point each for: being 65 years or older an OR time >120 min cardiac diagnoses peripheral vascular disease cerebrovascular disease malignancy HIV-positive status using regional…

More Americans are turning to bariatric surgery as the answer to morbid obesity. In the past, they faced open gastric bypass surgery as the only surgical route to lose weight and improve their health. But endoscopic innovations, including laparoscopic gastric bypass and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB), result in fewer…

Ambulatory surgery center (ASC) leaders sent a message to Washington in recent weeks that they want the government to revisit the formula it is considering as part of its plan to change the ASC reimbursement system. The new system is scheduled to take effect in 2008. Under the proposal issued…