Anxiety over changes in healthcare delivery and payment systems has permeated hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Administrators are concerned about how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and other initiatives will hit the organization’s bottom line. Increasingly, perioperative services leaders are being drawn into discussions in these areas. “The OR…

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Among the many changes occurring in healthcare delivery, clinically integrated networks and care coordination to improve patient outcomes and satisfaction are increasingly important. Although 30-day readmissions generally have declined in recent years, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has upped the ante by adding elective total hip arthroplasty, total…

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Tim Porter-O’Grady, DM, EdD, ScD(h), APRN, FAAN, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s OR Manager Conference, which takes place September 17-19 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California. The conference features 4 tracks—ambulatory surgery centers, business management, a masters series, and new manager—designed to address…

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With the expansion of Medicare readmission penalties to elective total-knee and total-hip arthroplasty patients in 2014 comes an increasing demand for OR leaders to ensure better postdischarge care. To avoid readmissions, OR management will have to be more proactive about reducing length of stay and complications and providing for care…

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The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is affecting every part of the healthcare system, including ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Whether it will help or hinder ASCs, however, will depend on how adept they are at managing changes in the way they are paid and how they interact with…

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It’s too soon to measure the success or failure of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which was signed into law in 2010 but is just beginning to be implemented... sort of. Enrollment in health insurance exchanges got off to a rocky start on October 1 because of technological problems, and…

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About 70% of respondents to a nationwide survey of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) say they are trying to cut costs in reaction to changes brought about by healthcare reform. That’s the major finding of a nationwide survey of 359 administrators, directors, and office managers in ASCs, cancer centers, home health…

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Perspectives on health care reform vary widely, and some view it negatively. But Kathleen Sanford, DBA, RN, CENP, FACHE, believes it will provide nursing with new opportunities—along with new challenges. Sanford, senior vice president/chief nursing officer at Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), Englewood, Colorado, will share her perspective during a general…

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While the nation concentrates on the consumer implications of health care reform, ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) are examining its provisions for clues to the impact it will have on their operations and revenue. One likely outcome is that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) will transform their supply…

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Health care reform, the comic book. Why didn’t someone think of this a long time ago? The new book, Health Reform: What It Is, Why It’s Necessary, How It Works (Hill & Wang 2012), tells the story of this complicated legislation in pictures with nary a table or chart. Drawn…

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