1. 4 Best Practices for Keeping Up With New Accreditation Standards — When it comes time for an accreditation survey, ASCs may be caught off-guard by new regulations they did not know were implemented. Freida Toler, administrator at Amarillo (Texas) Endoscopy Center discusses four best practices for ASCs to adopt to stay better informed of frequent changes to Medicare rulings and subsequent accreditation standards.
2. 6 Steps to Improve Preparation for an Accreditation Survey — Jim Stilley, CEO of Northwest Michigan Surgery Center in Traverse City, Mich., emphasizes the need to evidence on-going compliance to accreditation standards and offers six ways ASCs can be better prepared for an accreditation survey.
3. 4 Best Practices for Meeting Challenging Pre-Procedure Accreditation Requirements — ASCs have recently been tasked with the new responsibility of ensuring patients receive advance directives, rights and responsibility and facility information before the day of surgery in a written and verbal fashion. Ken Schaff, director of Alliance Endoscopy Center in Metairie, La., shares four ways ASCs can achieve maintain compliance with this requirement.
4. 4 Best Practices for Implementing an Effective Quality Improvement Program — Accrediting bodies require ASCs implement some version of a quality improvement program. Such a program allows an ASC to closely monitor areas of improvement and tackle issues by creating new policies and procedures to rectify those problem areas. John Dooley, MD, an anesthesiologist and administrator at Mississippi Valley Surgery Center in Davenport, Iowa, discusses four ways ASCs can install an effective program.
5. 4 Ways to Achieve More Thorough Nursing Documentation — Maintaining high quality clinical documentation is essential for a number of reasons, including improved patient safety and better adherence to accreditation standards. Marie Boyd, administrator at Cape and Islands Endoscopy Center in Hyannis, Mass., shares four steps ASCs can take to improve their nurses’ documentation in patient charts.
6. 4 Tips for Improved Fire Safety in Operating Rooms — ASC operating rooms can be dangerous breeding grounds for fire outbreaks, especially during head and neck surgeries when three components — an ignition source such as a cautery, fuel such as alcohol-based solutions and oxygen — are combined, says Jo Ellen Braden, RN, administrator of Marysville (Ohio) Surgical Center. Here are four tips for improving fire safety in ASC operating rooms.
7. New Jersey DHSS Outlines 3 Key Steps to Comply With Use of Single-Dose Medication Vials Rules — CMS prohibits multiple uses of single-dose medication vials. Alison Gibson, the director of assessment and survey for the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, outlines three key steps ASCs can take to avoid this problem.
8. Best Practices to Perform Reappointment Processes in a Consistent and Timely Manner — Jack Engatinsky, MD, of AAAHC explains the most common pitfalls for ASCs when they are reappointing healthcare providers for privilege to perform surgeries at their facility. He also discusses best practices on how to perform reappointment processes in a consistent and timely manner.
9. Guidance for Effective Medication Safety Process — It is crucial for ASCs to have effective and efficient medication safety processes in place in order to reduce the incidence of adverse clinical outcomes. Gayle Lowe, RN, AAAHC surveyor, offers insight on how ASCs can work to improve medication safety protocols.
10. 6 Best Practices for Implementing an Effective Infection Control Program — Infection control is being closely scrutinized by accrediting bodies, and some ASCs may struggle with implementing a program that is tailored to fit the needs of the facility while meeting standards established by those accrediting bodies. Here are six best practices for implementing an effective infection control program at your ASC.
