Adding new business to the ASC, one procedure at a time—Part 3
Total joint procedures are gradually moving to ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) as technology, medical expertise, and cost pressures combine to make the ASC an increasingly attractive alternative to an acute care hospital. The key to success for these and other complex procedures, experts say, is a combination of careful planning,…
12-week program prepares new nurses for the OR
If you told OR leaders they could onboard a nurse without previous surgical experience in just 12 weeks, most would scoff, “Impossible!” But at Sutter Health University, the impossible has become not only possible, but highly successful, thanks to an innovative program created by Renee Dodge, MSN, RN, RNFA, CNOR,…
CMS immediate jeopardy trail may lead to the OR
What makes an OR subject to an immediate jeopardy finding from a Medicare inspection? Immediate jeopardy is cited when a provider’s noncompliance with one or more of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid’s (CMS) Conditions of Participation causes or is likely to cause serious injury, harm, impairment, or death. …
DNV accreditation: A positive spin on survey preparation
There is a lot of buzz in the healthcare community about a newcomer to the accreditation process. For many years, the Joint Commission was the first choice for providing accreditation for hospitals in the US. But Norway-based Det Norske Veritas (DNV) is gaining ground, representing more than 350 hospitals and…
Arm your staff with strategies to prevent HAIs
Each year, more than 700,000 patients in acute care hospitals fall prey to healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs), and approximately 75,000 hospitalized patients die from them. Such statistics have gotten the attention of regulatory agencies that are determined to reduce these numbers. The Healthcare-Acquired Infections and Medical Technology Stakeholder Event held in…
Adding new business to the ASC, one procedure at a time—Part 2
Aging and active Americans are refusing to let back problems slow them down—the number of these patients is increasing, and they prefer the less invasive outpatient methods offered in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). So do their physicians. As a result, ASCs seeking to adopt new procedures are looking more closely…
Total joint PSH helps meet patient satisfaction goals
When leaders at Memorial Healthcare, a 154-bed community hospital in Owosso, Michigan, wanted to get a jump on preparing for bundled payments, they chose to focus on total hip and knee surgery. Creating a perioperative surgical home (PSH) for this patient population paid off in enhanced patient satisfaction and reductions…
Building a business case for new technology
OR leaders besieged by surgeons and others clamoring for the latest innovations must ensure that the business case for any new technology makes good sense both for patients and the organization’s bottom line. Building a strong business case requires careful assessment, clear writing, and a strong partnership with the finance…
Plan B: Managing surgical equipment failure
With safety and quality now tied to reimbursement as part of value-based purchasing (VBP), hospitals must meet benchmarks for patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, and readmissions to avoid financial penalties imposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The VBP program added the Patient Safety Indicator, or PSI 90, metric…
IUSS drops to 5% with team intervention
Reducing immediate use steam sterilization (IUSS) can be challenging, but adhering to standards is essential not only for patient safety, but also for successful accreditation surveys. “Accrediting organizations are hitting hard on all of sterilization, but especially IUSS,” says Rose Seavey, MBA, BA, RN, CNOR, CRCST, CSPDT, president and CEO…
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