A unique chain of ASCs in Portland, Ore., is taking the concept of artificial intelligence (AI) integration with surgery to a new level. Oath Surgical, which co-owns and operates two ASCs in The City of Roses with a third on the way, says it is “building the future of surgical…
Operating rooms are among the most complex areas of health systems. Every day, perioperative teams are playing a complicated game of Tetris, but with much higher stakes. At Tampa General Hospital, we’re always asking what information we need to conquer some of this complexity so we can do better by…
In its 2026 Final Payment Rule, CMS added 573 codes to the ASC Covered Procedures List (ASC-CPL). It’s a big win for the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) and its advocacy efforts. Kara Newbury, JD, ASCA’s chief advocacy officer, first and foremost views the rule through the lens of Medicare…
Tampa General Hospital (TGH) and Boston-based Mass General Brigham (MGB) this week announced a joint venture to create a "coordinated ambulatory network" serving Florida’s rapidly growing Martin, St. Lucie and Palm Beach counties, with a focus on expanding access to outpatient services including primary care, specialty care, advanced imaging, oncology…
Retained surgical items (RSIs) remain among the most preventable yet persistently recurring surgical “never events.” Despite decades of implementing process checklists, counting protocols, and technology solutions, surgical items continue to be left inside patients across the country. The question “How do RSIs happen?” is no longer sufficient. Instead, we must…
At many ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), “doing more with less” is an existential situation. Can artificial intelligence (AI) help alleviate the situation? That’s what Emily Spooner, president and owner of ASC consulting and management firm Marisa Consulting, will explore in her session “AI-powered insights to boost efficiency and margins in…
On Dec. 29, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it will award all 50 U.S. states funding under its Rural Health Transformation (RHT) program “to strengthen and modernize health care in rural communities across the country.” The initiative is intended to provide what the government estimates is…
At October’s 2025 OR Manager Conference, accreditation and regulatory compliance consultant John R. Rosing, MHA, LFACHE, vice president and principal at Patton Healthcare Consulting, advised perioperative leaders to be up to speed with the latest requirements in The Joint Commission's Accreditation 360: The New Standard. This update, released in June…
