7 things for ASC leaders to know for Thursday

Here are seven news updates for ambulatory surgery center leaders to know for Jan. 22, 2015.

MedPAC recommends 0% increase in ASC facility fees.
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission recommended ambulatory surgery centers receive no updates to their facility fees in 2016. In addition to no facility fee increase, MedPAC staff recommended facilities be subject to "some form of Medicare cost reporting." Read the full report on Becker's ASC Review.

CMS' Marilyn Tavenner to resign.
CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner announced last week she will resign at the end of February. Ms. Tavenner was appointed administrator in May 2013 and helped oversee the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act changes and the tumultuous launch of the HealthCare.gov marketplace. Read the full report on Becker's Hospital Review.

Healthcare jobs grow 50%.
Healthcare jobs grew more than 50 percent in 2014 over 2013. Healthcare created 311,000 jobs in 2014. The hospital sector grew in 2014 after shrinking in 2013. It gained around 50,000 jobs last year.

Lafayette General Medical Center opens ASC.
Lafayette (La.) General Medical Center began a $52.5 million expansion project two years ago. Now, the hospital has opened its new ambulatory surgery center and emergency department. The ASC has seven preoperative beds, four operating rooms and 12 postoperative beds.

Flu rises above epidemic levels.
During the week ending Jan. 10, 19 pediatric deaths associated with the flu were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bringing the total number of influenza-associated pediatric deaths so far this flu season to 45. Additionally, during the week ending Jan. 10, 8.5 percent of all deaths reported through the Cities Mortality Reporting System were due to pneumonia and influenza. That percentage is well above the epidemic threshold of 7 percent. Read the full report on Becker's Hospital Review.

FDA release draft guidance on cross contamination in endoscopes.
On Jan. 16, the FDA released a new draft guidance document on cross contamination in flexible GI endoscopes. The FDA guidance focuses on cross contamination risk associated with irrigation valves and accessories commonly used with GI endoscopes during colonoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy. The guidance, still in draft form, will offer recommendations for mitigating cross contamination risk once finalized.

Northfield Hospital & Clinics to open endoscopy center.
Northfield (Minn.) Hospital & Clinics began construction on a 9,000-square-foot, $6.3 million endoscopy center late last year. The endoscopy center, built in response to expected procedure demand, is slated for completion this summer.

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