Welcome to ASC Manager! Every month OR Manager produces content for ambulatory surgery center leaders in addition to frequent blog posts from expert contributors from across the nation that understand the challenges administrators, manager, and clinical leaders within ASCs face daily. Included in this resource center are ASC-specific books, toolboxes, and more to add to your arsenal. Be sure to bookmark this page and visit it often for new articles and posts. Thank you for being a part of the ASC Manager community!
Subscriber Content Hospitals, ASCs face tough decisions in wake of vaccine mandates
Health systems across the country are enacting COVID-19 mandates to comply with a broad-sweeping federal requirement. Amid reports of high compliance rates, the mandate has triggered passionate and visceral responses on both sides of the debate. While some healthcare employees are eager to roll up their sleeves, others decry the…
Consistency is the word that comes to mind when reviewing results from the 2021 OR Manager Salary/Career Survey. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) reported that salary, satisfaction, and the number of employees supervised were comparable to metrics reported in 2020. The good news is that…
Subscriber Content Maintaining a productive OR as cases shift to ASCsThe migration of surgical procedures from hospital ORs to hospital-owned ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) is picking up speed. According to a recent survey, three-quarters of larger hospitals now have an ownership stake in more than one ASC. Two-thirds of US health systems are currently planning to increase their ASC investment.…
Subscriber Content COVID-19 driving the move to regional anesthesiaCancellations of some surgical procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic and case rescheduling have been a major focus for perioperative leaders. But changes are also occurring in anesthesia practices. For many surgical procedures, the use of regional anesthesia or nerve blocks, coupled with light sedation, is reported to double if the…
Subscriber Content ENT leaders share innovative ideas to calm pediatric patientsAdvancements in technology have made it easier to distract children and ease their fears when they are undergoing surgery, but managing this patient population presents unique challenges. To guide parents and children through the surgery experience, leaders at some ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) have turned to child life specialists, innovative…
Subscriber Content Think ahead: Plan today for tomorrow's staffing gapsPlanning 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…
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…
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…
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…
Fueled by a pandemic, patient demand, and competition with ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), hospital outpatient department (HOPD) leaders are feeling the push to offer same-day discharge for total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Outpatient TJA is nothing new, but it’s certainly growing in popularity, says John W. Stirton, MD, MBA, medical director…
Outpatient Surgery – Second Edition
The second edition of the Outpatient Surgery book keeps readers abreast of the rapid changes in this key area by reflecting the range of topics we’ve covered over the past few years in OR Manager.
