Same-Day Surgery – June 1, 2007
June 1, 2007
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Media and lawsuits put spotlight on awareness in outpatient surgery
With National Public Radio, Oprah, and other media outlets covering patient awareness during anesthesia, many outpatient surgery providers report an increasing number of questions about the issue from their patients. -
Should you use a brain monitor?
So what's the answer to avoiding patient awareness under anesthesia? -
Insurance company ordered to pay for surgery
An insurance company has been ordered to reimburse a father for his teenage son's gynecomastia surgery after it had refused on the grounds that it was a cosmetic procedure. -
Same-Day Surgery Manager: Renew relationships with those who left you
Who hasn't had a significant surgeon leave your facility for greener pastures? What about that staff member whom you spend so much time with, who you develop into a world-class employee who seemed to master every task, only to see him or her lured or driven away to a competitor? -
You must prepare now for new payment system
Are you ready for the biggest change for ambulatory surgery centers in 20 years? The impact of other changes, such as preparing for Y2K, are dwarfed in comparison to the new payment system coming for ambulatory surgery centers, says Judith L. English, vice president of business operations at Surgery Consultants of America and Surgery Center Billing in Fort Myers, FL. -
Going back to fundamentals will help you be prepared
In general, surgery centers will need to get back to basics in terms of cost accounting, budgeting, and contract management, in order to prepare for the new Medicare payment system, says Craig Jeffries, Esq., executive director of the American Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers (AAASC). -
Careful management of contracts saves $100K
Save $100,000 in one year? It takes time and effort, but the key to achieving this cost-saving milestone for Calumet Surgery Center in Munster, IN, was careful attention to contracts that automatically renewed themselves. -
Reduce anxiety in children, parents for better outcomes
No one likes to undergo surgery, and children are especially vulnerable to anxiety prior to surgery. A recent study demonstrates that pre-surgical intervention designed to reduce the fears of children and parents does have a positive impact on the child's surgical experience and recovery. -
Removing organs through the rectum?
In the future, minimally invasive surgery may be performed though the rectum, with an incision made in the large intestine, according to surgeons at New YorkPresbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center who recently removed a woman's gall bladder through her vagina. -
Surgical hospitals must treat emergency patients
In the aftermath of reports that some surgical hospitals called 911 when patients developed complications, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a Survey & Certification letter clarifying that all hospitals are required to appraise medical emergencies, provide initial treatment, and provide referral when appropriate, regardless of whether the hospital has an emergency department. -
Company refuses FDA request for recall
On May 2, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a formal request that Shelhigh in Union, NJ, recall all of its medical devices, including hospital inventories, because of sterility concerns. Shelhigh has responded that it will not initiate a recall.