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Cholesterol is a common word. Most people easily connect it with heart disease. Yet in spite of this familiarity, many Americans have cholesterol in the high-risk range.
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Clinical pathways, multi-disciplinary plans of care for patients with a particular diagnosis, are not only for members of the medical team. Simple versions of these pathways, written in lay language, help to empower patients and their families, and also initiate involvement in the management of their care.
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Within a group purchasing organization, work with specific vendors, suggests Terry Hawes, RN, vice president of Dallas-based National Surgical Care.
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Handoff Communications: Toolkit for Implementing the National Patient Safety Goal will help providers use handoff practices to reduce the risk of medical errors and comply with the National Patient Safety Goal, according to Joint Commission Resources (JCR), which developed the toolkit.
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Under the 2009 National Patient Safety Goals, ambulatory surgery programs will be required to implement best practices on prevention of surgical-site infection.
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Surgeons at University of California San Diego Medical Center recently removed a diseased appendix through the mouth. This is another first in a series of firsts for natural orifice surgery.
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When cutting costs in your facility, other programs, your physicians, and even your staff can be partners. Consider these suggestions from Terry Hawes, RN, vice president of Dallas-based National Surgical Care:
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When trying to find ways to cut costs with your supplies and equipment, consider working with one specific vendor within a group purchasing organization (GPO) and reduce your purchasing orders (POs), advises Terry Hawes, RN, vice president of Dallas-based National Surgical Care.
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A 4% annual increase for the life of the facility is not a typical offer from a payer negotiating a contract with an outpatient surgery facility, but that is exactly what was offered to, and quickly accepted by, one facility.