Uncategorized Editor's Note On September 11, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a health advisory recommending that healthcare facilities arrange for a professional to assess their reprocessing procedures for maintaining, cleaning, disinfecting, and sterilizing reusable medical devices. The agencies recommend that facilities…
Editor's Note As the Affordable Care Act continues to pass more costs to patients through higher deductibles and premiums, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are positioning themselves as cost-effective and convenient alternatives to traditional hospitals, the September 17 Central Valley Business Journal reports. ASCs provide efficient, high-quality procedures, and discharge home…
Editor's Note In this analysis of nearly 25,000 Medicare patients, mean total payments for bariatric surgical procedures varied from $11,000 to $13,000 per episode of care. The index hospitalization was responsible for 75% of total payments, followed by physician services (21%), and postacute care services (2.8%). As hospitals enter Medicare…
Editor's Note Medical schools are beginning to teach students about healthcare costs and payment models as more patients enroll in high-deductible insurance plans and healthcare moves toward value-based care, according to a report by Kaiser Health News/KPCC/NPR. An Association of American Medical Colleges survey found that 129 of 140 responding…
Editor's Note Healthcare consultant Woodrow Moore has organized a new group to represent Hawaii’s ambulatory surgery centers, the Pacific Business News reports. The Hawaii ASC Association held its inaugural meeting in June, and a governing board and officers will be selected this month. “Hawaii’s ASCs are organizing for local advocacy,…
Editor's Note The longer time a screening colonoscopy takes, the less risk of developing cancer within 5 years, this study finds. Patients whose screenings were performed by physicians whose average colonoscopy times lasted less than 6 minutes were twice as likely to develop colon cancer within 5 years as those…
Editor's Note The gap in Medicare reimbursement rates between ASCs and hospital outpatient departments continues to grow, the Wisconsin Health News reports. Reimbursement rates for hospital outpatient departments are updated using the hospital market basket, but rates for ASCs are updated with the consumer price index. The result is that…
Editor's Note Seniors are much more likely than younger patients to be admitted to the hospital after ambulatory surgery, this study finds. Of more than 53,000 patients analyzed, those aged 65 and older were 54% more likely to be admitted to the hospital within 30 days of ambulatory surgery than…
Editor's Note Huntington Memorial Hospital, Pasadena, California, alerted health authorities on August 19 to a suspected outbreak of bacterial infections associated with contaminated duodenoscopes, the Los Angeles Times reports. Three patients with Pseudomonas bacterial infections had procedures with Olympus duodenoscopes. The bacteria are similar to the carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae superbug at…
Editor's Note Wednesday, August 19, is National ASC Day, and ambulatory surgery centers across the country will be celebrating by hosting elected officials, key policymakers, the press, and members of the public in their centers. Administrators, nurses, physicians, and policymakers gain valuable experience learning about one another, which will ultimately…
