2019 Medicare final payment rule brings big wins for ASCs
The holiday spirit got off to a good start at ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) across the country with the November 2, 2018, announcement of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) 2019 Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System and Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program Final Rule. Several significant changes ASCs had…
Joint Commission surveys now seek evidence of performance
In the past few months, the Joint Commission has implemented a new process for accreditation surveys and changed the wording and interpretation of some standards, particularly infection control. At the 2018 OR Manager Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, in September, John R. Rosing, MHA, FACHE, executive vice president and principal of…
Policy compliance essential for overlapping surgery safety
Flipping rooms, or running two ORs back to back, is common in many perioperative services departments. Certain rules of thumb can help ensure efficiency and good outcomes, but sometimes those rules either don’t exist or are unclear. Does your facility have guidelines for overlapping surgery, and do your surgical teams…
Editorial
A greater focus on cost cutting and improving quality of care, a rise in outpatient procedures, and increased demand for cost and quality transparency were among the major healthcare trends projected for 2018. It’s safe to say these will continue to dominate in 2019 and beyond. A year ago, all…
How should you manage patients using marijuana?
What is the current state of marijuana research? Russell: Marijuana research is unlike any other drug research. Researchers have to jump through a lot of hoops with the federal government to study it. As a result, people are using marijuana before there is enough science to prove safety and efficacy.…
New structure puts SPD staff on firmer footing
Perioperative leaders, including those in the sterile processing department (SPD), need to know when to make sweeping—not just incremental—changes to improve workflow and optimize the talents of their staff. Sometimes gains in productivity and staff satisfaction depend not only on identifying process improvements but also on placing staff in areas…
Orthopedic experts urge caution when starting total knee service lines
Total joint replacements contribute hefty profits to hospitals and healthcare systems. Once the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) starts reimbursing surgery centers—as is done for hospital outpatient surgery departments (HOPDs)—the competition between hospitals, HOPDs, and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) will intensify. “Total joints are the hot ticket in…
Comprehensive ROI pitch helps to procure OR equipment
Multiple requests for new equipment and technology—usually from surgeons but also sometimes from staff—are not uncommon. As part of their due diligence, OR leaders must determine whether the return on investment (ROI) justifies the purchase. Doing ROI calculations systematically—and involving key stakeholders—can help ensure that the organization makes the best…
Free Daily News
- Surgeons remove spinal tumor through eye socket in unprecedented procedure
- Commentary: Systemic trauma, not burnout, drives healthcare’s workforce crisis
- Federal grant cuts threaten hospital disaster readiness
- Study: Outpatient PCI safety comparable for ASCs, HOPDs
- Study: Knowledge gaps hinder perioperative hypothermia prevention
- Scientists question NIH's $500M bet on old vaccine technology
- Study: Inadequate RN staffing raises patient mortality, costs
- Dissolution of CDC infection control panel raises concern over stagnant guidelines
- State AGs sue HHS over sweeping cuts
- Medtech giants move fast to blunt tariff impact without raising prices
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