Kathy Bryant, JD
Kathy Bryant receives the Nap Gary award from David Shapiro, MD, at the ASCA 2023 Conference & Expo in Louisville, Kentucky, May 19, 2023.
On May 19, 2023, ASCA recognized Kathy Bryant, JD, as the recipient of the eighth annual Nap Gary Legacy Award for Lifetime Achievement in the ASC Community. Ms. Bryant led ASCA from 1998 to 2010. Under her stewardship, the association navigated a critical period in its history, transitioning from an organization with little recognition in Washington, DC, to an organization that is, today, the recognized advocate and voice for surgery centers across the country and the number one resource for ASCs on regulatory policy and ASC-specific education. During Ms. Bryant’s tenure, many ASCA members started participating in ASC advocacy efforts for the first time.
Under Ms. Bryant’s leadership, ASCA supported the introduction of ASC payment reform legislation in 2005 and met with then-President George W. Bush in 2006 to discuss ways ASCs could help fulfill Bush’s national healthcare priorities. The organization also developed National ASC Open House Day—which has since expanded to become National ASC Month—established the Certified Administrator Surgery Center credential in 2002 and convinced the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to continue to allow ASCs to provide recovery care to non-Medicare patients.