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A 16-bed observation unit has increased bed capacity and improved patient flow at Ingham Regional Medical Center in Lansing, MI.
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Despite being pressured, The Joint Commission (TJC) has not dictated in the revised "Universal Protocol for Preventing Wrong Site, Wrong Procedure, Wrong Person Surgery" that surgeons must be the ones who mark the surgical site.
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a 3% payment increase for hospital-based outpatient programs for calendar year (CY) 2009, while ambulatory surgery specialties will see payment changes ranging from -6% for procedures on the digestive system to 19% for procedures of the musculoskeletal system.
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In every element of the revised 2009 "Universal Protocol for Preventing Wrong Site, Wrong Procedure, Wrong Person Surgery," including verification of procedure, marking of site, and taking time out, The Joint Commission (TJC) has "gotten a bit more specific about who does what and when," says Peter Angood, MD, vice president and chief patient safety officer for TJC.
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Let's have a show of hands of those who have real concerns about the economy and the overall health of business today. (Cue to author who is waving both hands in the air).
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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.
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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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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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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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