About 2 years ago I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. As I researched the treatment alternatives, I became very concerned about the complications associated with traditional surgical prostatectomy or radiation. Then I learned that I might be eligible for an outpatient procedure: high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). Although HIFU is relatively…

Healthcare providers have seen a steady stream of inpatient-only procedures migrate to ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) over the past few years. Medicare is reimbursing an increasing number of procedures performed in the outpatient setting, many of them cardiovascular in nature. This issue of ASC Manager explores the development of a…

Staffing remains a significant challenge for many leaders of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), according to the 2019 annual OR Manager Salary/Career Survey. Nearly a third (32%) of respondents reported more open RN positions, significantly higher than the 26% in 2018; over the past 5 years, only 2016 had a higher…

Healthcare workers are at risk for bloodborne pathogen exposures in areas ranging from the clinic to the OR—both inpatient and outpatient settings. Such exposures not only cause anxiety, they cost an estimated $3,000 to $5,000 per exposure for things such as baseline and follow-up laboratory testing, treatment of exposed personnel,…

The opioid epidemic has risen to alarming proportions in the United States, claiming 46,000 lives in 2018. Studies and federal reports documenting evidence of narcotics overuse and addiction in patients have built momentum to curb prescribing habits. Responding to these trends, a Midwestern orthopedic practice launched a multiphase project to…

It is not unusual for OR leaders to perform many different roles: Boss, mentor, coach, facilitator, or participant, to name some. Administrators in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) likewise are tasked with many different responsibilities, often shifting among multiple roles within the same day. With the rapid growth in volume and…

Welcome to the first issue of OR Manager’s Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC)-focused supplement: ASC Manager. This supplement will be inserted quarterly and is a new benefit for subscribers. The ASC market is projected to in­crease from $36 billion in 2018 to $40 billion by 2020 according to a recent market…

Many experts see cardiovascular (CV) care as the next wave in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), and a hybrid office-based lab (OBL)/ASC model is gaining momentum across the country. Robert J. Zasa, MSHHA, FACMPE, president and CEO of Ambulatory Systems Development, LLC, in Incline Village, Nevada, sees the hybrid arrangement as…

Violence is a fact of life in healthcare settings. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration estimates that, on average, healthcare workers are four times as likely to be victimized as those in private industry. Most types of violent incidents involve patients or visitors acting out against staff, accounting for 93%…

Pressure to contain opioid overuse in the United States is at a boiling point. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that overdose deaths linked to opioid prescriptions have increased fivefold over the last two decades. To reduce reliance on opioid prescriptions, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services…