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!
ASCs and the expanding role of nurse leaders
Ambulatory service centers (ASCs) are back in expansion mode after a slow-down during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, as the pandemic took hold, ASCs saw a decrease in growth as people delayed or opted out of elective surgeries. But that delay only served to highlight the importance of ASCs to…
Perioperative workforce 2023: Focus on ASC
Leaders of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) continue to face many challenges in 2023, with staffing at the top of the list. OR Manager wanted to know more about what ASC leaders on the frontlines are experiencing related to the workforce and what strategies they are using (or plan to use)…
Improving situational awareness in ASCs
Situational awareness is the perception of events occurring around a person in a particular environment. Knowing what is happening helps that person make better decisions. But how does that apply in the perioperative context? In 2004, The Joint Commission made situational awareness the cornerstone of its surgical timeout requirement. The…
Preparing for active shooter events
Takeaways Gun-related violence is an increasing threat in healthcare settings, including perianesthesia departments and ASCs. Small hospitals and ACS are not immune to active shooter events. New requirements from The Joint Commission require planning and preparation for active shooter events. Elizabeth Dalton, BSN, RN, will never forget the day her…
Maximize your staff: Developing and using successful float teams
Float teams have been a staple of nurse-staffing plans for many years, but they have not been widely used in the operating room. Utah Valley Hospital, a Level II trauma center in Provo, Utah, and part of the Intermountain Healthcare system, has been developing float teams for nearly 2 decades.…
Pediatric patients benefit from calming, quiet OR environment
Takeaways • Children are not small adults. Greater attention should be paid to their fears and anxiety, and equipment and medication should be tailored to meet their needs. • All staff should have Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification. • ASCs can use toys and games as distractions to ease…
Strategies for preparing and surviving a CMS survey
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) develops conditions of participation (CoPs) and Conditions for Coverage (CfCs) that healthcare organizations must meet in order to participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs. Payers, including government payers, require facility certification or accreditation for reimbursement. “Reimbursement is the critical piece,” says Becky…
ASC challenge: Recruiting and retaining surgical technologists
According to the 2022 OR Manager Salary/Career Survey, many ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are facing a critical shortage of surgical technologists (STs). The percentage of leaders reporting an increase in the number of ST open positions jumped from 22% in 2020 and 28% in 2021 to 42% in 2022, and…
Tackling internal objections to single-use device reprocessing
Many healthcare professionals are aware of single-use device reprocessing and its benefits. According to the Association of Medical Device Reprocessors, the savings generated by such programs can strengthen a facility’s financial sustainability and help provide a path for more responsible environmental stewardship. Sometimes, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) may experience situations…
Legal ABCs of drafting contracts with anesthesia
Navigating contracts with anesthesia when anesthesiology services are suffering from workforce shortages and high costs is often tricky and complex. The biggest mistake ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) make is that they do not know what they want when entering a contract negotiation with an anesthesia provider. As a result, ASCs…
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.
