From: Becker Scott <becker@beckersasc.com>
Subject: [Becker's ASC E-Newsletter] N.J. Decision Can Halt ASC Payments; Guidance on California Licensure and Accreditation Concerns; Save $100: Last Day to Register Early for June Orthopedics and Spine Driven ASC Conference, Fewer Than 80 Spots Remain
Reply: becker@beckersasc.com
New Masthead

May 8, 2008

June 08 ortho short

5 New Articles on www.BeckersASC.com: N.J. Decision Can Halt ASC Payments; 12 Stats for GI Centers; ASCs Face Calif. Licensure Challenges -- Practical Guidance.

1. California Licensure and Accreditation Concerns for ASCs. A California court case in combination with action by the state Department of Health prohibiting the department from issuing licenses to ASCs has created some confusion regarding whether ASCs must be licensed, accredited or both to operate in California. This article briefly describes how wholly and partially physician-owned ASCs and non-physician-owned ASCs are likely to be treated in the aftermath of the case and department action. For the complete analysis, go here.

2. N.J. Decision May Cause Big Challenges for State's Physician-Owned ASCs. A new case (Endo Surgi Center v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Company), in the aftermath of the original Garcia v. Health Net of New Jersey (also known as the Codey Case), may spell larger problems for New Jersey-based ASCs. Endo Surgi Center holds that a New Jersey payor need not pay a physician-owned ASC that operates out of compliance with the Codey Act. For the full story, go here.

3. 12 Interesting Statistics From the VMG Health Endo Centers Financial and Operational Benchmark Study. This article briefly outlines 12 findings from the VMG Health Endo Centers Benchmarking Study. The study, together with the IMA Health Multi-Specialty Center Study, is an outstanding resource for ASCs. Go here for the full story.

4. Reminder: NPI Will Be Required for all HIPAA-Standard Transactions on May 23. If you haven't already, you may want to test your National Provider Identifier-only system: Come May 23, the NPI will be required on all HIPAA-standard transactions. For the rest of the story, go here.

5. MedAssets to Acquire Accuro Health Solutions. Group purchasing organization MedAssets has announced it will acquire Accuro Healthcare Solutions, a provider of revenue cycle management (RCM) solutions for hospitals and other healthcare providers. The combination of MedAssets and Accuro creates a leading healthcare technology and services provider with 2007 pro forma net revenue of approximately $278 million; the combined companies' customer footprint is expected to exceed 3,300 U.S. hospitals, including more than 2,000 RCM hospital facility customers. For the complete story, go here.

Joint Commission
Save $100: Early Registration Savings End Today for June Orthopedics and Spine Driven ASC Conference; Fewer Than 80 Spots Remain 

The 6th Annual Orthopedics, Pain Management and Spine Driven ASC Conference: Improving Profits, Legal and Business Issues, will be held June 19 to 21 in Chicago. This is an opportunity for great education and great networking. Early-bird registration, which will save you $100, ends today.

Here are nine of the great speakers you can hear:

  1. Tucker Carlson, the well-known political commentator on MSNBC, will speak on the intersection of healthcare and politics.

  2. Dr. Tom Price, an orthopedic surgeon and congressman, will address the audience Saturday morning and provide some of his thoughts regarding the future of healthcare.

  3. Greg Cuniff, the CFO of National Surgical Care, will present a talk entitled "The Impact of the New CMS Payment System on Orthopedics and Pain Management."

  4. Dr. Brian Cole, one of the country's most renowned orthopedic surgeons who specializes in cartilage restoration, will speak on the clinical future of orthopedics.

  5. Russ Greene, RN, the administrator at Physicians' Surgery Center in Fayetteville, Ark., and Dr. John Caruso a neurosurgeon and president of the Parkway Spine Surgery Center in Hagerstown, Md., will jointly present on handling spine procedures in the ASC.

  6. John Rex-Waller, the CEO of National Surgical hospitals, will speak on the benefits of and business case for physician-owned hospitals.

  7. Bob Burnstine, JD, a renowned investment advisor at Harris Associates, which manages the well-regarded Oakmark funds, and a graduate of Harvard Law School, will speak on investing in changing times. This will be an informative talk.

  8. Dennis Vielieu, the CEO of Midwest Orthopedics at Rush, will discuss building a private orthopedics practice in the context of an academic medical center.

  9. Molly Sandvig, JD, executive director of Physician Hospitals of America, will present "Physician-Owned Hospitals at the Crossroads: How to Stop the Government From Killing Innovation."

Download the complete program agenda and event brochure here. CME, CEU and CASC credits available. Paid subscribers to the Becker's ASC Review can receive a $100 discount. E-mail Rob Kurtz if you are a paid subscriber and would like to take advantage of this special offer. Additional discounts apply when registering two or more attendees. Book your hotel room soon -- the block is almost sold out.

There are four easy ways to register:

  • Online. Register through our secure Web site.

  • Fax. Complete the order form and fax it to (312) 706-2526. Please show ASC Communications c/o a5 as the subject line.

  • Mail. Complete the order form and mail it to ASC Communications; c/o a5 Inc.; 1 N. LaSalle Street, 47th Floor; Chicago IL 60602.

  • Phone. Call (312) 546-6042 to register.
TY--Regent 3x
Thank You, NovaMed; Northwoods Surgery Center Opens; DayOne Health Designated Center of Excellence

1. Thank You, NovaMed. Thank you to NovaMed a leading acquirer, developer and operator of ASCs in partnership with physicians, for its sponsorship of the Friday morning continental breakfast at the June Orthopedics and Spine Driven ASC Conference. NovaMed provides expertise in identifying and attracting new physicians to perform surgical procedures in existing ASCs. For more information, go here.

2. Pinnacle III Opens Northwoods Surgery Center in Partnership With Aspirus Wasau Hospital. Pinnacle III has announced the opening of Northwoods Surgery Center, an Aspirus Partner, in Woodruff, Wis. The 7,349 square foot ASC features two ORs and is capable of hosting 23-hour stays. Northwoods Surgery Center represents a partnership between Dr. Mark Balas, Dr. Tadych, Dr. Michel Gelinas and Aspirus Wausau Hospital; the new ASC will specialize in orthopedics and ophthalmology. For more information on Pinnacle III, go here.

3. DayOne Health Designated a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence. DayOne Health, a leading outpatient weight loss surgery program in Chicago, has been designated as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. To learn more about this recognition, click here.

The Hospital Review: Analyst Downgrades Hospitals; CMS Revisits "Stand in the Shoes"; Serious Event Reports Increase in Pa. Hospitals

Small Hospital Review Logo 1. Investment Analyst Initiates Hospital Operator Coverage with "Sell" Ratings. A Citi Investment Research analyst began coverage of hospital operator stocks and issued a "sell" rating for them due to growing debt and lower patient commercial admissions, according to published reports. For the full story, go here.

2. CMS Revisits Stark "Stand in the Shoes" Provision. CMS is revisiting the Stark "stand in the shoes" provision as a component of its 2009 Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) proposed rule. Go here for more analysis.

3. Reports of Serious Events Up in Pa. Hospitals. The incidence of serious events and incidents was up 13 percent last year from 2006, according to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority's annual report, released this week. The 512 hospitals, ambulatory surgical facilities and birthing centers subject to reporting requirements in 2007 submitted 211,983 reports of serious events and incidents through the state Patient Safety Reporting System, an increase of 16,151. For more, go here.

Note: The Hospital Review covers business and legal news and issues for hospital leadership.

June 08 audio short
Register Now: Orthopedic Coding in ASCs -- An Audio Conference, to Be Held June 11; Earn 1.5 CEUs

In this audio conference, ASC coding expert Stephanie Ellis, RN, CPC, of Ellis Medical Consulting will discuss orthopedic coding challenges in ASCs, and will help you to capture the reimbursement your center earns and deserves. If your ASC performs orthopedic surgery or will do so in the near future, you will not want to miss this seminar.

Ms. Ellis will highlight

  • new challenges presented by Final Rule additions and revisions of procedures to the Medicare list of ASC-approved procedures;

  • common coding errors with current procedures, such as chondroplasties performed with other knee procedures and subacromial decompressions performed with open rotator cuff repair;

  • challenges with coding implants;

  • modifier misuse;

  • and other issues.

DETAILS

Date: Wednesday, June 11

Starting time: 11:00 a.m. (Pacific), Noon (Mountain), 1:00 p.m. (Central), 2:00 p.m. (Eastern)

Length: 90 minutes

Credits: 1.5 AAPC-approved CEUs

Cost: $199; or $99 for paid subscribers of Becker's ASC Review (e-mail Rob Kurtz if you are a paid subscriber and would like to take advantage of this special offer).

For more information, go here. To register, go here.

TY--IPG-5x
Thank You to 10 Great Companies in the ASC Industry

This week we want to thank and highlight the following advertisers and sponsors who have supported the Becker's ASC Review extensively.

1. Physicians Endoscopy. Physicians Endoscopy (PE) develops and manages endoscopic ASCs in partnership with practicing GI physicians and hospitals; it currently partners with 150+ physicians in Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington. For more information about PE, click here.

2. Access MediQuip. Access MediQuip is one of the largest and most experienced providers of outsourced implantable device management solutions to the healthcare industry; with more than a decade of experience, Access MediQuip eliminates the financial burdens and risks associated with implantable medical devices for ASCs, hospitals and physician offices across the country. To learn more about Access MediQuip, click here.

3. Titan Health. Titan Health is a nationwide surgery center development, acquisition and management company that partners with hospitals and physicians to develop successful, multi-specialty ASCs; it specializes in acquisition turnarounds, de novo projects and hospital JVs and is committed to physician majority ownership. Learn more about Titan Health by clicking here.

4. Orion Medical Services. Orion Medical Services offers a turnkey approach to ASC development and management by covering all aspects of a project from financial feasibility analysis to site and operational development; surgeons are able to own the majority share in the ASC, so they maintain control without having to do the time-consuming administrative work required to setup a surgery center. Find out more about Orion here.

5. Nueterra Healthcare. Nueterra Healthcare partners with physicians and hospitals to develop and manage community hospitals, surgical hospitals, ASCs and physical therapy centers including new development, joint-ventures, acquisitions and turnarounds; Nueterra provides its partners with access to business management and wealth building opportunities to ensure sustained growth throughout the lifecycle of your facility and beyond. To learn more about Nueterra, click here.

6. Marasco & Associates. Marasco & Associates is a national architecture and consulting firm, dedicated to providing quality facility design and development assistance for outpatient medical facilities, private physician groups, hospitals and institutional clients. To learn more about Marasco & Associates, click here.

7. B. Braun Medical. B. Braun is a global organization with over 30,000 professionals worldwide committed to translating customer needs into products with unmatched quality, cost-effectiveness, environmental responsibility and superior technology and safety. Using its Sharing Expertise initiative as a driving philosophy, B. Braun collaborates with customers, partners and employees to develop innovative products, services and education programs. To learn more about B. Braun, click here.

8. Medical Facilities Corporation. Founded and managed by physicians and with a market capitalization over $300 Million, Medical Facilities Corporation is a publicly traded company and a leading acquirer of majority interests in high quality specialty hospitals and ASCs. To learn more about MFC, go here.

9. Physicians Capital. Loans for ASC buy-ins -- to help bring new physicians into a partnership -- are among the unique financing options offered by Physicians Capital. This Nashville-based firm provides loans based solely on the future cash flow of a surgery or diagnostic center. For more information on Physicians Capital, go here.

10. MEDtegrity. The MEDtegrity Medical Laundry Network is a $500 million commercial laundry network comprised of the largest and most successful independent and family-owned laundries in the United States. To learn more about MEDtegrity's services, click here.

Becker's ASC Review Subscriber Benefits

If you are a Becker's ASC Review paid subscriber, you are entitled to the following new benefits:

  1. Becker's ASC Review delivered to your door.
  2. Subscriber discounts on the cost of audio conference and Webinar registrations.
  3. $100 off registration for both main and pre-conference sessions at the June conference.
  4. $50 off registration for both main and pre-conference sessions at the October conference.
  5. Free copy of the VMG Health Intellimarker benchmarking survey, an extremely valuable guide.

To subscribe to the Becker's ASC Review go to www.BeckersASC.com

 
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