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When you have pregnant staff, protect them and their fetuses from harm

Several of your staff are in the first trimester of pregnancy. Youre thrilled for them, but you want to make sure they arent exposed to chemicals or radiation that might impair the fetus. One staff member brings in a note from her OB/GYN saying to follow guidelines for pregnant staff in the OR, but you cant find any state or federal guidelines.

Will centers make money with the move to APCs?

As surgery centers begin to analyze how a new reimbursement system, if passed, would affect their income and bottom line, they are finding that future changes will be a mixed bag.

Change to HOPD rates to impact specialties

Surgery center managers should determine how the new reimbursement system, scheduled to take effect in 2008, will affect their current case mix, suggests Caryl A. Serbin, RN, BSN, LHRM, president and founder of Surgery Consultants of America and Serbin Surgery Center Billing, both in Fort Myers, FL.

MedPAC recommends 2007 payment update

In the Medicare Payment Advisory Commissions (MedPACs) March 2006 report, the commission recommends a 2007 update for hospitals of market basket minus half of the commissions expectation for production growth for outpatient and inpatient services.

JCAHO changes focus on disaster preparedness

Same-day surgery managers and staff members will have more direction and some flexibility if they face a disaster that requires the use of health care volunteers or if they choose to stay open during a pandemic situation with new standards in the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations hospital, ambulatory care, and office-based surgery standards that are effective July 1, 2006.

Hurricanes point out disaster plan weaknesses

As administrator of Kissimmee (FL) Surgery Center, Lou Warmijak knows that weather-related disaster plans must be in place and must be comprehensive. But, as he learned during the 2004 hurricane season, there are always situations for which you cannot plan.

Same-Day Surgery Manager: Expanding your OR space, and other managers’ issues

Question: We need to expand our freestanding center by one more operating room. We have a storage room that is about 300 square feet that we are using for storage. Can we use this?

Journal Review: Study identifies top 10 herbals used by patients

Cosmetic surgery patients use herbal and supplemental medicines at a higher rate than the general public, but physicians are not always aware of the use or of the effect of the supplement on perioperative care, according to a recent study published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Checklists ID supplements and verify safety steps

Preoperative and postoperative safety checklists, as well as forms that collect information about the patients medications and dietary or herbal supplements, are important tools for outpatient surgery programs focusing on patient safety.

New organization helps office surgery programs

A new, for-profit subsidiary created by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities will help office-based surgery programs improve their efficiency and comply with requirements of different regulatory bodies and accreditation organizations.

Same-Day Surgery – May 1, 2006

May 1, 2006