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Could your surgery program be accused of fraud? Recent cases raise question

Recent federal and state cases involving accusations of fraud against outpatient surgery providers have gotten the attention of managers who wonder, could my program fall under similar scrutiny?

HealthSouth case offers lessons

HealthSouth Corp. and two physicians will pay $14.9 million to settle allegations that the company gave the government false claims and paid illegal kickbacks to physicians who referred patients to its ambulatory surgery centers and hospitals, as well as its outpatient rehabilitation clinics, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Outsiders may know of phone use in OR

In many cases, inappropriate phone calls are more obvious to people other than the patient or the manager. For instance, Bonnie Russell, owner of 1st-Pick.com, a public relations agency in Del Mar, CA, says she has had several conversations with surgeon clients while they were operating on patients.

Foreign cases show phone use cited

Two international cases show how phone use during surgery can be cited as a contributing cause to alleged malpractice. In a case from Israel, a woman underwent hand surgery in Tel Aviv's Sheba Medical Center and then filed a lawsuit claiming malpractice by her surgeon.

Community-acquired MRSA boosts need for awareness

Antibiotic-resistant infections are not new to the health care setting, but headlines throughout the country have increased public awareness of the potential risk of infection to a wider range of people in the community.

Patient isolation tips for outpatient surgery

Hospital inpatients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are isolated from other patients to reduce the risk of colonizing other patients or visitors, but how does an outpatient surgery program isolate a patient when there often is a shortage of space and a need to move many patients through a single area in a short time?

Protect your patients and their environment

Although patient care is the No. 1 priority for outpatient surgery managers and staff members, a growing number of health care employees are recognizing that their workday activities can affect more than a patient's health. They also can affect the environment.

Small steps add up to major waste reductions

Environmental consciousness is such a big part of the corporate culture at Boulder (CO) Community Foothills Hospital that the surgery program staff constantly comes up with new ideas to help the department reduce waste, recycle, and conserve resources.

Same-Day Surgery Manager: Things I'm gonna change in 2008

Now that we've started a new year, let's have no more resolutions. We're going to do something different this year. We are going to change our behavior (oh, yes, completely different from resolutions!) in areas that scream for attention.

Same-Day Surgery – February 1, 2008

February 1, 2008