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ASCA’s Life Safety Code for ASCs virtual course will stream live next Monday, October 23, and Tuesday, October 24. This course will provide a comprehensive overview of all CMS and NFPA requirements for ASCs. Register today to get the guidance you need to design and implement long-term, low-stress solutions that can help your ASC remain in continuous compliance with CMS’ physical environment mandates. The program will be available on demand after the live broadcast and is also available to purchase as part of the 2023 Virtual Course Bundle— a package that gives you three courses for the price of two! Learn more about the course in this ASC Focus article. |
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Data submission for the third quarter (Q3) of ASCA’s 2023 Clinical & Operational Benchmarking Survey will close on October 31. This valuable online resource provides data you can use to improve clinical outcomes, staff indicators, billing performance and more at your facility. If you haven’t already, subscribe today so you can submit your data and receive valuable comparison data. ASCA members save $150 on subscriptions to the 2023 survey. Purchase your subscription now. |
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ASCA’s National Advocacy Day will return February 26–28, 2024. National Advocacy Day gathers engaged members of the ASC community from across the country to advocate for their facilities and the high-quality care they deliver. It is an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face with your members of Congress and their staff to educate them about the many benefits ASCs offer and issues currently impacting their ability to provide care. Help ASCA gauge interest in next year’s event by completing a brief survey. Please note that submitting this form will not register you for the event. |
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Billers and Coders: Save the Date for This 2024 Coding Virtual Course
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Save the date for ASCA’s virtual course Coding and Reimbursement for ASCs, taking place January 8–9, 2024.
During this event, you’ll hear from industry experts as they discuss the coding and billing updates for 2024 and share strategies you can use to maximize your ASC’s reimbursements.
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NEW! State of the Industry Report: Best Practices & Proven Data for Optimizing ASC OperationsLeading surgery centers understand the importance of using data to inform business decisions. The 2023 report is compiled from industry experts & HST's unique data to help you:
- Learn about best practices
- See key process steps for major operational areas
- See data benchmarks to compare your performance against others
Read the full report here.
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Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-2) recently joined as a cosponsor of H.R. 972, the Outpatient Surgery Quality and Access Act of 2023, a bill that seeks to increase access for lower-income patients to receive outpatient care in ASCs. Reintroduced during this session in the US House of Representatives, this critical legislation enjoys bipartisan cosponsorship from members of the House and the Senate. Read this Digital Debut to learn more. |
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Changes in ASC Reimbursement and Implications for Interventional Pain ProceduresAs an industry leader, the Medtronic Health Economics and Patient Access team is committed to the ongoing educating of our customers, making them aware of changes that can impact coding, coverage, and payment in Pain Interventions. As such, we invite you to our latest overview that highlights the upcoming Tricare reimbursement methodology changes for Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) for Interventional Pain Procedures that will take effect October 1, 2023. You may access this on-demand presentation here.
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On October 5, ASCA submitted comments in response to the Request for Information: Improving Access to Health Care in Rural and Underserved Areas released by US House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) on September 7. The chairman requested stakeholder input on solutions to reshape access to healthcare for rural and underserved communities, with specific requests for input on aligning sites of service, geographic payment differences, sustainable provider and facility financing, and healthcare workforce.
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Hospitals are frustrated with a nationwide nursing shortage that’s only gotten worse since the pandemic. In 2022, the American Hospital Association quoted an estimate that half a million nurses would leave the field by the end of that year, bringing the total shortage to 1.1 million.
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STAT News (10/16/23) Brittany Trang
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Recently updated colorectal cancer (CRC) screening guidance from the American College of Physicians (ACP) is raising concerns among some specialists. The ACP's clinical guidance, published in Annals of Internal Medicine in late July, called for CRC screenings to start at age 50 in average-risk individuals who are asymptomatic.
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Medscape (10/12/23) Alicia Gallegos
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Culpeper Surgery Center opened its doors in September 2003 and on Oct. 6, celebrated by inviting the community to an open house to join them in celebrating their 20 years of dedication, commitment and care provided by the surgeons and staff. Refreshments, giveaways and demonstrations of cataract, endoscopy and colonoscopy procedures were on-site.
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InsideNoVa.com (10/13/23)
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Within seconds, Sarah James went from having normal vital signs to no signs of life. A middle-aged woman who had long carried excess weight, James elected to undergo gastric bypass surgery last year in the hopes of reducing obesity-related health risks.
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American Association of Medical Colleges (10/03/23) Mary Hawn
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AmSurg, a leading ASC company, has officially announced its separation from Envision Healthcare after the latter filed for bankruptcy. As a result of this reshuffling, Envision’s president and CEO, Jim Rechtin, has declared his intention to leave the company and take over the leadership of healthcare payer Humana.
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Express Healthcare Management (10/12/23) Somasetty Suresh
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Attention has long been focused on the challenges faced by newly minted physicians as they navigate the intricate maze of medicine. But physician burnout, poor job satisfaction and other professional challenges vary by career stage. And middle career appears to be an especially challenging time for physicians, according to an exclusive survey from the AMA.
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American Medical Association (09/26/23) Sara Berg
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About ASCAMission: The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) is the national membership association that represents ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and provides advocacy and resources to assist ASCs in delivering high-quality, cost-effective ambulatory surgery to all the patients they serve. About Us: At ASCA, we are eager to help you become better acquainted with our nation's ASCs and the people who own and operate them. We are also eager to help you develop policies on ASC-related issues. If you have questions, please contact us. We'll put you in touch with the experts and, if you like, arrange for you to visit an ASC in your area. Contact Us: Advertising inquiries should be addressed to Chris Schriever or Alex Yewdell at 202.337.1897 or at advertising@ascassociation.org. Follow ASCA on
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