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Data submission for the second quarter (Q2) of ASCA’s 2022 Clinical & Operational Benchmarking Survey is now open. This valuable online resource provides data you can use to improve clinical outcomes, staff indicators, billing performance and more at your facility. If you haven’t already, subscribe today so you can submit your data and gain comparison data for the last three quarters of the year. ASCA members save $150 on subscriptions to the 2022 survey. Purchase your subscription now. |
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Hear Michael Powers, administrator of Children’s West Surgery Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, and board president of the Tennessee Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, talk with ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice about providing outpatient surgical care to pediatric patients in the ASC setting in the newest episode of ASCA’s Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, “Pediatric Specialty Care in ASCs Today: A Conversation with Michael Powers.” |
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Register today to attend ASCA’s virtual course Infection Prevention for ASCs, streaming live August 29–30. Over the course of two half days, this program will cover a wide variety of topics and provide you with the resources you need to develop and maintain an infection prevention program. It will also help you prepare for the Certified Ambulatory Infection Preventionist (CAIP) ® exam. Session recordings will be available to watch on demand after the live event.
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Make sure all the physicians in your ASC get a copy of the newest edition of ASCA’s “ ASC Physician Brief.” This issue provides information on physician employment trends and the rise of Medicare Advantage enrollment. These quarterly, one-page news briefs provide at-a-glance reporting that can help ASC physicians lead their facilities to future success. Please encourage all of your ASC’s physicians to subscribe. |
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) updates to the State Operations Manual (SOM) Appendix L - Guidance for Surveyors: Ambulatory Surgical Centers make conforming revisions to the regulatory tags and interpretive guidelines, as well as clarifications and technical corrections to other guidance areas based on stakeholder feedback. Read this Digital Debut to learn more about these revisions. |
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On June 28, ASCA representatives met with Jonathan Blum, principal deputy administrator and chief operating officer at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The discussion focused on the sweeping changes made in the two previous rulemaking cycles (2021 and 2022) regarding the ASC Covered Procedures List (ASC-CPL).
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Consumers, employers, and just about everyone else interested in health care prices will soon get an unprecedented look at what insurers pay for care, perhaps helping answer a question that has long dogged those who buy insurance: Are we getting the best deal we can? As of July 1, health insurers and self-insured employers must post on websites just about every price they've negotiated with providers for health care services, item by item.
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Kaiser Health News (07/01/22) Julie Appleby
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Managing commercially prepared sterile supplies and devices can be challenging for healthcare organizations. A new Quick Safety advisory from The Joint Commission, " Managing packaged sterile supplies and devices," provides guidance to keep patients safe from infection and other potential harm from expired or compromised supplies and devices. |
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Joint Commission Press Release (06/28/22)
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Since at least the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, healthcare employers nationwide have endured serious talent acquisition and retention challenges, forcing employers to consider different strategies to maintain a stable workforce. While many healthcare employers have implemented various incentives to combat these desperate staffing times, some employers, unfortunately, have engaged in illegal practices of forming "no-poach' agreements, which have attracted the attention of federal agencies more recently.
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JD Supra (06/22/22) Kamri Barber; Nikole Setzler Mergo
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Younger adults living in the U.S. are less likely to be screened for colorectal cancer than older U.S. adults, despite now being eligible under new screening guidelines, and face greater disparities than older U.S. adults who are eligible for screening, according to research from UTHealth Houston. A study led by Caitlin Murphy, PhD, MPH, an associate professor of health promotion and behavioral sciences at UTHealth School of Public Health, showed that in 2018, U.S. adults age 50-54 were 30.4% less likely to be screened for colorectal cancer in accordance with guidelines than U.S. adults age 70-75.
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Newswise (06/27/22)
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California has become the first state to guarantee free health care to all low-income immigrants. Set to be in place by 2024, it's part of Governor Newsom's Medicaid program, which pledges to make all low-income adults eligible for health care.
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KTVU (07/03/22)
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The surgical workforce, like the rest of the population, is ageing. This has raised concerns about the association between the age of the surgeon and their surgical outcomes.
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Nature (07/04/22) Yeongin Jung; Sang Tae Choi; Jin Mo Kang; et al.
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About ASCAMission: The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) is the national membership association that represents ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and provides advocacy and resources to assist ASCs in delivering high-quality, cost-effective ambulatory surgery to all the patients they serve. About Us: At ASCA, we are eager to help you become better acquainted with our nation's ASCs and the people who own and operate them. We are also eager to help you develop policies on ASC-related issues. If you have questions, please contact us. We'll put you in touch with the experts and, if you like, arrange for you to visit an ASC in your area. Contact Us: Advertising inquiries should be addressed to Chris Schriever or Alex Yewdell at 202.337.1897 or at advertising@ascassociation.org. Follow ASCA on
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