Here are seven news updates for ambulatory surgery center leaders to know for March 2, 2015.
ASCs could be exempt from MU.
On Feb. 26, the House Ways and Means Committee passed the Electronic Health Fairness Act. The bill, sponsored by Representative Diane Black (R-Tenn. 6th District and Linda Sanchez (D-Calif. 38th District), would exempt ambulatory surgery centers from Meaningful Use requirements. If the legislation passes, patient encounters that occur in an ASC will not be factored into determining whether or not an eligible professional meets MU for EHR use.
CMS launches network to facilitate Medicare payment overhaul.
CMS established the Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network to help the healthcare industry shift from fee-for-service toward a more value-based system. The Network was launched "to provide a forum for public-private partnerships to help the U.S. healthcare payment system (both private and public) meet or exceed" those recently established goals set by HHS, according to a news release. Read the full report on Becker's Hospital Review.
St. Cloud Surgical Center performs robotics-assisted knee surgery.
St. Cloud (Minn.) Surgical Center has performed the first robotics-assisted partial knee replacement in Minnesota. The surgery center used the Navio Robotic Surgical System from Blue Belt Technologies to perform the procedure. The center is still in the process of owning the $400,000 system.
Six more flu deaths reported.
Even though flu activity in the United States continued to decline last week, activity is still at elevated levels, and six flu-related pediatric deaths were reported during the week ending Feb. 21. Through the entire flu season, 92 pediatric deaths have been associated with the flu. Read the full report on Becker's Hospital Review.
Dr. Brian Cole performs knee surgery on Bulls' Derrick Rose.
Bulls team physician Brian Cole, MD, performed a procedure to correct a meniscal tear Chicago Bulls Guard Derrick Rose suffered last week. Dr. Cole is also a partner at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush.
Corvallis Clinic Surgery Center names new medical director.
Orthopedic surgeon Jonathan Evans, DO, has been named the medical director of Corvallis (Ore.) Clinic Surgery Center. Dr. Evans took over for the center's previous medical director John Murphy, DPM, on March 1. Dr. Murphy was the center's first medical director; he held the position for eight years.
UCLA patient sues Olympus over "superbug" infection.
A patient of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles has filed a lawsuit against Olympus in regards to the recent carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae outbreak linked to contaminated duodenoscopes. The lawsuit alleges that Olympus failed to provide proper instructions for sterilization, according to a Bloomberg Business Week report.