Strong for Surgery Program Could Help Centers Reduce Complications

Surgery safety measures are extending to the presurgery sphere. Hospitals, surgeons, and ambulatory surgery centers are working together under a Strong for Surgery program to teach facilities how to reduce post-surgical complications through engaging patients in activities that will improve their health before they undergo surgical procedures.

Strong for Surgery Targets Specific Health Issues

The Strong for Surgery program includes checklists that target eight areas, including four lists that were released in November 2018. In addition to nutrition, glycemic control, and medication management, the new targets are safe and effective pain management after surgery, delirium, prehabilitation, and patient directives.

Medicare’s 2019 Final ASC Payment Rule Includes Several ASCA Suggestions

The final ASC payment rule for 2019 provides some long-awaited improvements regarding how ASC payment rates are determined. Specifically, ASC payment rates now tie their rate increases to the same inflation rate that has been used for hospital outpatient departments.

ASCs Continue Struggling With False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute

Some ASCs shell out millions of dollars to settle False Claims Act or federal Anti-Kickback Statute violations. These often are the result of whistleblower reports and could have been caused by ASCs not conducting proper research before selling shares in the business. Other times, ASCs end up in compliance trouble often because leaders were not cautious when choosing tactics to improve their competitiveness in the healthcare marketplace.

Collaboration to Standardize Care and Quality Improvement in Joint Replacement

The Joint Commission (TJC) and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) have created a new collaboration for Total Hip and Knee Replacement (THKR) certification. AAOS brings clinical expertise to the collaboration while TJC contributes standards development and performance measurement requirements.

Finding Experienced OR Nurses Is a Challenge ASCs Should Tackle

ASCs may be at an advantage over hospital ORs when it comes to hiring nurses. For instance, the work hours in an ambulatory OR are more desirable. Still, both hospital and ASC OR settings will continue to see increasing shortages of nurses. ASCs will experience this problem because of their increasing case volume and rise in OR nursing demand.