7 things for ASC leaders to know for Thursday — July 16, 2015

Here are seven news updates for ambulatory surgery center leaders to know for July 16, 2015.

Physicians file CON for new surgery center in Vermont 
A group of physicians have filed a certificate of need application for a new surgery center in Colchester, V.T., according to a Rutland Herald report. If approved, the Green Mountain Surgery Center would be the second independent surgery center in the state.

House passes 21st Century Cures Act
The act includes $8.75 billion to fund research by the National Institutes of Health. The act also changes the process that the FDA uses to assess and approve new medicines, aiming to speed up assessments of new treatments.

Figure 1 app launches for physicians
Figure 1 allows physicians to upload photos, X-rays and other images of patients' maladies. The new app, likened to Instagram or Facebook, is changing the way physicians communicate with their patients, according to The Sacramento Bee. Physicians can electronically "page" their colleagues practicing in the same specialty and discuss possible diagnoses instantly. Professionals can also use the app to share photos of new technology or clinical techniques in their healthcare practices.

Republican-appointed officials ask Senate to confirm Obama's Medicare chief
Health officials appointed by former President George W. Bush are strongly advising the Senate to confirm Andy Slavitt as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, according to The Hill. The group believes Andy Slavitt's extensive work in the private sector gives him superior understanding of health markets, which is pertinent to CMS.

Communication distractions derail patient handoffs in ASCs
Communication errors are a key factor in what can commonly derail patient handoffs in the ASC, according to investigators at the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in Camden, N.J. Nineteen percent of instances saw monitors and equipment to be the most common distractors. Direct patient care, transient staff and patient communication were the next most common distractors, at 16 percent each.

Baylor children's hospital closes, plans to focus on outpatient care
Baylor children's hospital is closing on Sept. 8 with Baylor Scott & White Health planning to focus solely on outpatient care in the future, according to the Dallas Business Journal. Baylor Children's House's Dallas facility will be replaced by a new outpatient facility in Dallas. Since its opening, the hospital has added nine outpatient clinics across northern Texas where children from infancy to 18 years old can receive treatment for disorders, severe illness as well as traumatic injury.

Pulsed xenon ultraviolet light contributed to a reduction in C. diff
According to a study in the American Journal of Infection Control, researchers found that during ultraviolet disinfection, hospital-acquired CDI was 22 percent less than the year before pre-ultraviolet disinfection. During ultraviolet disinfection, community-acquired CDI increased by 18 percent, and length of stay of all CDI cases was lower.

More articls on surgery centers:
14 Observations and Thoughts and Issues for ASCs 2015 – 2016
Where shoulder surgery is headed: Patient-specific implants, faster recoveries & outpatient surgery
Piccard Surgery Center implements Blue Belt's CT-free robotic system: 3 quick notes

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Webinars

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Podcast