Departments

Departments

Message from the President

Are You Ready for ASCA 2025?

At the start of each new year, I look forward to attending the annual ASCA conference and expo. With the 2025 conference in Denver, Colorado, just around the corner, there is no shortage of enthusiasm for what promises to be an enriching and transformative experience.


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Message from the CEO

ASC Transactions: Trends and Insights

As the demand for outpatient surgical services continues to grow, so does interest in ASC acquisitions, sales and partnerships. A variety of factors push these transactions.


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ASCA 2025

Performing Successful Infection Prevention Surveillance and Investigation

Come to ASCA 2025 to get valuable pointers

The role of the infection preventionist (IP) is critical in any healthcare organization. In an ASC, this licensed practitioner usually assumes the role in addition to their regular nursing duties, often without any formal background or training in infection prevention.


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As I See It

Addressing the Anesthesia Provider Shortage

Strategies to consider

We live in a time of surging demand in the ASC environment. Improved technology making surgery safer, patients catching up on elective surgeries postponed in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and improved surgical and anesthetic capabilities expanding the list of ASC-eligible procedures are all driving more cases into the ASC setting.


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Doing Business

Use Benchmarking to Improve Billing and Coding Performance

Tips for success

On the surface, benchmarking is easy to understand. Your performance in an area is compared against a standard or goal to determine how well you are performing in that area. Benchmarking is a valuable mechanism surgery centers can use to determine where in their billing and coding processes they should be targeting efforts for improvement.


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Emergency Preparedness

Shootings in Healthcare Facilities Rise

Steps to take to keep your surgery center safe

The topic of emergency preparedness comes up regularly in workplaces, but recently, this preparation has had to be enhanced. Specifically, healthcare facilities now have to think about what to do in the case of an active shooter.


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Advocacy

ASCA Members Celebrate National ASC Month

Surgery centers host facility tours for congressional staff, advocate for their cause

In August, ASCs across the country celebrate National ASC Month to highlight the high-quality, cost-effective surgical care that surgery centers provide to their patients and communities. 90210 Surgery Medical Center in Beverly Hills, California, and South Kansas City Surgicenter in Overland Park, Kansas, hosted their members of Congress to educate them about ASCs and the work they do for their community.


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Trends

Sg2 2024 Annual Report Projects High Growth in ASC Volume

Three specialties will migrate to surgery centers more than others

Between 2024 and 2034, ASC volume will go up 21 percent to 44 million, according to Sg2’s 2024 Impact of Change report.


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Education

Master Life Safety Code Compliance

Sign up for ASCA’s virtual course this October to learn how

ASCA’s third virtual course this year, Life Safety Code for ASCs, will be broadcast live over two half days, October 23 and 24. Recordings of the sessions will be available on demand later.


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Awards

Bryant Receives Nap Gary Award for Lifetime Achievement

The former chief executive officer of ASCA led the organization from 1998–2010

ASCA awarded its 2023 Nap Gary Legacy Award for Lifetime Achievement in the ASC Community to Kathy Bryant, former chief executive officer of ASCA.


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Q&A

Doing Right by the Community

An Illinois ASC helps patients in need access care

The Orthopaedic Institute Surgery Center in Metropolis, Illinois, helps its community by never sending a child who needs surgery back home without that surgery if the ASC can safely provide it. This is irrespective of the child’s insurance status. Melanie Russell, RN, the administrator of the ASC, is a pivotal part of this effort.


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Coding

Outsourcing Coding

How to work effectively with your revenue cycle partner

It is increasingly difficult to find qualified credentialed employees with a desire to work within our brick-and-mortar ASC facilities. Business office positions, specifically the coding and billing functions, are more frequently being outsourced.


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Compliance

Conforming with Patient Privacy Rules

Protect PHI and ensure comprehensive healthcare compliance

In today’s digital age, protecting patient privacy and adhering to regulatory requirements is paramount for healthcare organizations. The stakes are high, with protected health information becoming more accessible than ever before.


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Regulations

HIPAA Biannual Update

January to June 2024

During the first half of 2024, healthcare organizations across the country posted 359 breaches of protected health information (PHI) affecting 500 or more individuals.


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Legal Matters

Informed Consent Process in Ambulatory Surgery

Review state laws and AHRQ materials before creating your policy

In rare situations, the duration of the informed consent could present an issue. Some state laws presume that a written authorization signed by the patient is valid. Some states might specify the time frame in which consent remains valid; others require that consent be obtained no more than 30 days from the procedure. Therefore, checking state regulations is essential.


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Marketing

Build a Data-Driven Marketing Program

Foster relationships by eliminating the guesswork

Relying on word-of-mouth to cultivate awareness is not enough to establish and build reputation among potential patients in today’s competitive healthcare marketplace. Patients are using various means to shop for and select their care providers, and it is helpful to have a marketing program that connects with people as they consider options.


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Insurance

Trends in Medical Risk Transfer

Risks that are uninsurable or prohibitively expensive to insure might call for alternative risk transfer

In an ever-changing world, it is no secret that risks associated with ASCs also are evolving. Trends in medical risk transfer, however, are generally not related to ordinary risks but rather nontraditional—low frequency/high severity—risks. If these risks occur, they have the ability to bring a practice to a screeching halt. Examples of such risks include: loss or suspension of professional license, legislative and regulatory changes, cyber risk (breach of customer data and detrimental code) and related Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) violations.


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Legislature

Reintroducing the ASC Act in Congress

If passed, the Outpatient Surgery Quality and Access Act will better align Medicare’s ASC and HOPD payment systems

As this issue of ASC Focus goes to press, Congressman John Larson (D-CT) and Congressman Brad Wenstrup, DPM (R-OH), are planning to introduce the Outpatient Surgery Quality and Access Act of 2023 in the House side of the 118th Congress, and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Senator William Cassidy, MD (R-LA), are planning to introduce the legislation in the Senate.


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Quality Improvement

Stay on the Forefront of Efficiency and Quality

Consider these new strategies

During the last 27 years, as an ophthalmic surgeon, I also was part owner of an ASC in Washington, DC. While I was able to transition successfully, I wish I had had many of the tools and features available today that would have made my life easier and my business more profitable.


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Technology

The Future of ASCs

Advancing health equity through technology

“Health equity” is the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health. Throughout my years as a surgeon and a national manager of surgery centers, I witnessed a transformation in the American healthcare landscape. Driven by the ASC industry, this transformation led and inspired improvements in efficiency and enhanced healthcare quality.


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Infection Prevention

Assessing Sterile Processing Operational Performance

Consider these tips

Sterile processing sits at the heart of the ASC support structure and directly impacts the center’s ability to succeed. Whether you are living with your current sterile processing department (SPD), renovating existing space or looking to build new, every ASC should ask two questions about its SPD.


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Cybersecurity

Preparing for and Responding to a Data Breach

Have a written plan, implement it in a timely manner and communicate with your patients

ASCs are attractive targets for cybercriminals. Surgery centers collect and store vast amounts of sensitive personal information. This is highly valued as it can be used for identity theft, blackmail and extortion.


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Finances

Two Healthcare Trends Drive ASC Partnerships

Surgery centers use specialized revenue cycle expertise to leverage value-based and consumer-driven care

Reflecting on this year’s healthcare trends and looking ahead to 2025, we have seen the number of ASC partnerships with health systems continue to rise steadily. Health systems are eager to contain costs, improve efficiency and prioritize patient care through ASC alliances.


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Billing

Is Your Billing Team Performing Optimally?

Take a deep dive into your processes to decide

Your ASC is well-positioned in the community. It has a good reputation, as do your providers. Your caseload is steady or perhaps growing. You have a happy, busy staff.


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Regulatory Review

Regulatory Highlights at ASCA 2025

Learn more about how to stay on top of your ASC compliance at the annual conference

All eyes are on Denver this spring. From April 30–May 3, the ASCA 2025 Conference & Expo will take over the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, bringing to its attendees yet another installment of an annual event that is viewed as the ASC industry’s most highly regarded event for more than two decades.


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Advocacy Spotlight

ASCA Member Kicks Off 2025 Facility Tour Program

The Oregon Clinic hosts Representative Andrea Salinas

ASCA’s facility tour program began in January with Representative Andrea Salinas (D-OR) visiting The Oregon Clinic Gastroenterology South in Newberg, Oregon. During the tour, ASC staff described the surgery center model to the congresswoman and discussed the role of ASCs in the healthcare continuum.


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Member Profile

Alfonso del Granado, CASC

Alfonso del Granado, CASC, ASCA Board member and chief consulting officer at Oak Brook Medical Management in Oak Brook, Illinois, shares his tools for staying on the forefront of safety and quality.


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Industry Insight

William A. Miller

William A. Miller, partner at Higgs, Fletcher, & Mack LLP in San Diego, California, discusses the most important legal issues for ASCs this year.


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ASCA News

Still Not Too Late to Register for ASCA 2025

New this year, ASCA members receive access to ASCA’s entire suite of virtual education as a part of their membership. This means you can access the full 2025 Webinar Series, eight virtual courses and more without paying separate registration fees.


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Web Crawl

Benchmarking Q1 Data Submission Begins April 1

The data submission period for the first quarter (Q1) of ASCA’s 2025 Clinical & Operational Benchmarking Survey opens April 1. This valuable survey allows you to compare your ASC’s clinical outcomes, staff indicators and billing performance with national and regional data.


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