While the deadline for beginning to report quality measures on Medicare claim forms is not until October 1, 2012, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) can start practicing. On April 1, 2012, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a set of reporting codes for the first 5 measures. The…

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Perioperative staff and managers face a variety of pressures: improving processes, enhancing patient outcomes, documenting savings, meeting regulations, and more, all in a time of tighter budgets. With so much to balance, it can be difficult to consider (much less sell to upper management) the idea of greening the operating…

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An agreement with orthopedic and spine surgeons to share savings has enabled a large medical center to make major strides on its implant costs. It’s also provided eye-opening opportunities to improve patient care. Under the agreement, termed gainsharing, a hospital and physicians enter into a formal contract to share savings…

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Negotiating with orthopedic vendors can be frustrating as OR leaders strive to balance competing agendas among companies, surgeons, and the hospital. Kimberley Murray, MS, RN, CNOR, administrator for the orthopedic and spine service line at St. Joseph’s Hospital (SJH) in Syracuse, New York, reduced frustration by adopting a program that…

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Is your OR’s clinical documentation as specific as it needs to be? That’s the key question perioperative directors and managers need to ask as their organizations gear up for ICD-10. The big date is October 1, 2013. Starting then, all claims have to be submitted using the ICD-10 coding sets.…

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A column on managing the OR revenue cycle. How to charge for OR time and services is a frequent source of questions from OR directors and business managers. In this column, Keith Siddel, MBA, answers questions about charging posed by members of the OR Business Management Listserv. Siddel is CEO…

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How do we charge for invasive procedures performed at the bedside? What's the correct way to bill for patients who stay in the recovery room because of a lack of beds in the ICU? In this column, Keith Siddel, MBA, an expert on health care business operations, responds to questions…

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A Big 5 report keeps perioperative leaders at the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City abreast of leading financial metrics for the 31-OR department (illustration, p 9). The report displays financial variances for the 5 surgical supply-focused expense areas: medical-surgical supplies instrumentation implants wound closure supplies drug supplies. "These…

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Is your value analysis process as strong as it could be? Value analysis is a key link in building a supply chain strong enough to stand up to today's cost management challenges. Check your process against these success factors, outlined by Thomas Skorup, MBA, FACHE, vice president of the Applied…

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Which is more expensive—a robotic handle or a shunt valve? How much does hemostatic matrix cost? Thanks to an innovative game modeled after "The Price is Right," staff at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNM), Albuquerque, know the answers: The shunt valve is more expensive than the robotic handle…

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