Are spinal procedures the wave of the future for ASCs?
Looking toward 2022, spine procedures are expected to drive growth and optimize performance in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Michael Ast, MD, chief medical innovation officer for HSS, Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, can attest to this personally. A year ago, his father could not even walk up a…
COVID-19 vaccine mandate for HCWs blocked in 10 states
Editor's Note A federal judge, on November 29, blocked a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) mandate requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for healthcare workers (HCWs) in facilities participating in CMS programs in 10 states, the November 29 Bloomberg Law reports. In his ruling, the judge says the CMS mandate requires…
New value-based models allow for surgeon buy-in, cost savings
The growth of value-based healthcare models is changing the way physicians and hospitals provide care. In value-based models, providers are paid based on patient outcomes. The “value” is derived from measuring health outcomes against the cost of delivering the outcomes. This balancing act has now become more achievable with new…
Cleveland Clinic mandates COVID-19 vaccinations for US employees
Editor's Note Cleveland Clinic, on November 12, announced that it is requiring all US employees and those who provide services with Cleveland Clinic to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by January 4, 2022. In accordance with federal mandates from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, employees who are not fully…
CMS releases final Medicare payment rule for ASCs, HOPDs
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), on November 2, released its 2022 final payment rule for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs). The final rule increases Medicare prospective payment system rates by a net 2.0%—a combination of a 2.7% inflation update based on…
CMS penalizes nearly half of all hospitals for high readmission rates
Editor's Note In FY 2022, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will penalize 2,499 (47%) hospitals for excessive patient readmissions, the October 28 Kaiser Health News reports. In its 10th year of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, CMS will cut payments to the penalized hospitals by as much…
How might telehealth alter approaches to surgical patient care?
Telehealth services grew exponentially in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall telehealth utilization for office visits and outpatient care was 78 times higher in April 2020 than in February 2020, according to a McKinsey & Company July 2021 report. Since then, telehealth utilization has stabilized at levels that…
Act now to address predicted gaps in anesthesiology coverage
Perioperative services leaders have their hands full with a range of pressing issues, from the return of elective case cancellations to new struggles with staff turnover. However, an even bigger problem is flying under the radar for many hospitals—impending changes in the market for anesthesiology services. Several factors are coming…
Widening of racial, socioeconomic healthcare gap for organ transplant patients during COVID-19
Editor's Note This study led by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, finds that although COVID-19’s effect on access to liver transplantation has been all-pervasive, minorities have been disproportionately affected—especially those with public insurance. During the initial wave of COVID-19, organ transplantation was classified as a…
Maintaining a productive OR as cases shift to ASCs
The migration of surgical procedures from hospital ORs to hospital-owned ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) is picking up speed. According to a recent survey, three-quarters of larger hospitals now have an ownership stake in more than one ASC. Two-thirds of US health systems are currently planning to increase their ASC investment.…
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