The Business of Surgery Each day seems to bring new tasks for leaders of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), adding to their already overflowing plate. One task that can easily fall off that plate is collecting and analyzing metrics, yet failing to do so can have serious financial consequences. OR Manager recently asked ASC leaders…
Since July, when repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) stalled, healthcare reform has been somewhat overshadowed by events such as natural disasters and concerns about national security. Now, with insurers due to announce rates for the coming year, Congress is working on a bill to stabilize the…
Ransomware is a form of computer malware used to make data, software, and information technology (IT) assets unavailable to users. It uses encryption of data to hold systems hostage with an associated ransom demand, often in Bitcoin (a virtual currency that is difficult to trace). This encryption is used to…
Each year, the OR Manager Conference showcases the latest hybrid OR technology along with expert advice from clinicians and manufacturers. The 2017 conference (October 2-4 in Orlando, Florida) will feature an extensive exhibit and opportunities to interact with the Hybrid OR Steering Committee members (sidebar, p 15): • Monday, 2…
The inaugural Bundled Payment Bootcamp on June 20 in Nashville, Tennessee, was a timely opportunity for healthcare providers to learn how reimbursement is changing the way they do business. Though the uncertain direction of US healthcare legislation continues to cause consternation, this workshop—which will be presented again in fall 2017—clarifies…
Medicare is increasing approval of higher-acuity procedures performed in the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) setting, creating meaningful opportunities for ASCs. At the same time, however, a number of outpatient procedure codes have been deleted, reduced, or are packaged and considered all-inclusive in a case, without additional payment. “Key changes occurred…
Keeping a close eye on implants that are opened and not used is one way OR leaders can track practices that add significantly to costs. But what about blood products? Blood taken to the OR and not used also can be costly. Although an individual unit of blood doesn't compare…
Researchers at the University of Michigan (U-M), Ann Arbor, have invented a new surgical instrument with the goal of addressing a vast, unmet need in minimally invasive surgery. For less than a thousand dollars, this platform technology—currently being commercialized by the start-up FlexDex Surgical—offers capabilities similar to those of the…
Healthcare providers and their patients have benefited from practices borrowed from other industries—for example, the checklists and time-outs used in aviation or the Lean management principles used in manufacturing. Applying lessons learned in the entertainment industry to the hospital setting may seem like a stretch, but Dennis Snow will explore…
Surgeons usually don’t have a high awareness of costs, partly because they haven’t had an easy way to know them. An unfortunate byproduct of this lack of knowledge can be higher OR costs. “Imagine what it’s like if, when you go to the grocery store, there are no price tags,…
