Same-Day Surgery – June 1, 2020
June 1, 2020
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Surgery Centers, Experts Search for Answers on Reopening
As COVID-19 spread across the United States, some surgery centers stopped most elective surgeries, sometimes repurposing their space to take emergent cases or turning operating rooms into critical care units to accept overflow from nearby hospitals. Others did what they could to survive during the pandemic. Now that many places have gone through a surge of COVID-19 cases and some governors have begun to lift stay-at-home orders, the question for surgery center leadership is: When and how should we resume normal operations?
New York City Chief Surgeon Describes How COVID-19 Changed Work, OR Function
At the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City, everything changed around mid-March, when the facility closed because of the COVID-19 crisis. The first four weeks since HSS closed to elective surgeries were a time of dizzying change.
Q&A Part 1: How Did COVID-19 Affect Surgery Centers?
As the first cases of COVID-19 started emerging across the United States, surgery center leaders had to make tough choices about whether to close, carry on as normal, or modify operations to help treat an expected surge in infected patients.
Q&A Part 2: Some Surgery Centers Closed, Others Helped Local Hospitals
After deciding what their operating model would look like during the COVID-19 crisis, surgery center leaders had to determine appropriate staffing levels — furloughs, layoffs, or fewer hours. Additionally, administrators had to decide whether to ration precious personal protective equipment and other supplies, or loan this materiel to frontline facilities in desperate need.
Q&A Part 3: Improving Communication on List of Lessons Learned
Facing the crucible of the COVID-19 crisis has been an unprecedented challenge, but it also has allowed surgery center leaders to take a closer look at areas for improvement so they can handle future emergencies better.
The CARES Act: What Surgery Centers Need to Know
Billions of dollars of relief funds have been made available to healthcare entities affected by COVID-19. Learn more about how to access those funds and what to expect from future aid packages.
The Winds of Change
In the United States, the way more than 50 million surgical procedures are handled annually is bound to transform after the pandemic ends. There are bound to be sweeping changes, and the industry needs to be ready.
COVID-19 Pandemic Led to Revised Accreditation Procedures
Until the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic passes, various regulatory agencies have eased certain requirements. Read on to learn more.
More States Lift Barriers for Nurse Anesthetists During COVID-19
The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) has asked for states to lift barriers to full utilization of nurse anesthetists. The COVID-19 crisis gave the AANA an opportunity to show the benefits of lifting physician supervision statutes, as a dozen states made temporary changes during the pandemic.
The Challenges of Infection Control in the Age of COVID-19
Infection prevention likely will be a higher priority activity and quality improvement project for surgery centers as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to flare over the next year. There are various resources leaders should consider to help in these endeavors.