Same-Day Surgery – September 1, 2016
September 1, 2016
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Outpatient Surgery Staff Members Can Fight Patients’ Opioid Addiction
With 78 opioid-related deaths a day, what can one healthcare staff member do? The answer is plenty, according to a panel discussion at the recent annual meeting of the American Medical Association.
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CMS Proposes 1.2% Rate Increase for ASCs
CMS has released the 2017 proposed payment rule for ambulatory surgery centers and under the proposed rule, ASCs would see an effective update of 1.2%, according to the ASC Association.
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Measures Added to Hospital, ASC Quality Program
CMS did not propose to add new measures to the Ambulatory Surgery Center Quality Reporting Program for 2018 or 2019 payment determinations, the ASC Association said. However, the agency proposed that seven measures be added for 2020 payment determinations for ASCs and hospital outpatient departments.
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1.55% Pay Boost Proposed for Hospital Outpatients
CMS proposed to update hospital outpatient prospective payment system rates by 1.55% in the calendar year 2017 compared to CY 2016, according to the American Hospital Association .
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CMS Proposes to Drop Physician Pay Rate 0.08%
After applying the 0.5% payment increase required by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 and other budget neutrality cuts, CMS estimates a 0.08% decrease in physician payment rates for 2017 compared to 2016, according to the American Hospital Association.
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Your Most Expensive Asset Might Be at Risk
I enjoy writing about issues that affect all of us in the surgery industry, from freestanding ambulatory surgery centers to hospital-based to office-based.
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Pre-Surgery Optimization Clinic Supports Patients at High Risk for Complications
PinnacleHealth in Harrisburg, PA, is opening its PinnacleHealth Surgery Optimization Clinic to all high-risk orthopedic surgery patients, followed by high-risk surgical patients in other service lines by year’s end.
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Patients Prep for, Recover from Surgery with App
A new smartphone app is helping surgery patients at the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville follow a treatment program to better prepare them for surgery and speed their recovery.
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FDA Clears New Treatment for Low Back Pain
A minimally invasive nerve-ablating procedure, recently cleared by the FDA, may give some people with chronic low back pain a new treatment option.
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Zika Transmitted by Needlestick to Lab Worker
The question of whether Zika virus can be transmitted via needlestick is no longer hypothetical.
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Amid Protests from Hospitals, CMS Releases Overall Star Ratings
CMS has launched its new overall quality star ratings for Medicare hospitals, which is raising the ire of hospitals and medical associations that have pushed the agency to block, or at least revise, the rating system.
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Pediatric Groups Update Sedation Clinical Guidelines
The American Academy of Pediatrics, with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, has issued updated clinical guidelines for delivering safe sedation to pediatric patients before, during, and after diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
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Falls May Be a Strong Indicator of Baseline Health
In a study of 15,000 adults undergoing elective surgery, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that falling up to six months before an operation is common and often causes serious injuries across all age groups. The frequency of falls among middle-aged patients was slightly higher than among those who were age 65 or older
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CMS Corrects New Fire Safety Requirements
CMS has published a correction to its recently updated fire safety standards for hospitals, according to the American Hospital Association.