Melissa Rivers hires legal team to investigate Yorkville Endoscopy.
Melissa Rivers has engaged law firm Gair, Gair, Conason, Steigman, Mackauf, Bloom and Rubinowitz to investigate New York ambulatory surgery center Yorkville Endoscopy following the death of her mother Joan Rivers. Whether or not the legal investigation will lead to a civil claim against Yorkville Endoscopy remains to be seen.
Inpatient utilization decline expected to continue.
As outpatient volumes continue to grow, inpatient utilization continues to drop. Sixty-three percent of surveyed executives expect a decrease in inpatient admissions over the next five years. Read the full report on Becker’s ASC Review.
USC affiliates with SCA.
Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center has formed a strategic alliance with Surgical Care Affiliates to manage several of its surgery centers. SCA will take over management of USC Surgery Center-Glendale (Calif.), with USC surgeons continuing to staff the center.
ACS release protocol for Ebola in the OR.
The American College of Surgeons has released protocols for surgical cases involving patients with possible or confirmed cases of Ebola. While the protocol notes operations should not be performed on patients with known or suspected cases of Ebola, emergency procedures may leave surgical teams with no choice.
GRHealth opens Digestive Health Center in new location.
GRHealth opened its Digestive Health Center in a new location in Augusta, Ga., on Oct. 22. The new location is 43,000 square feet and includes a nine-room endoscopy suite, a weight loss surgery center, motility clinic, physician offices and an inflammatory bowel disease/colorectal cancer surgery center.
Barrington Pain and Spine Institute hosts 1st spine surgery.
Barrington (Ill.) Pain and Spine Institute successfully performed its first spine surgery case on Oct. 6, making BPSI is the only ASCs in Illinois focused 100 percent on spine and pain interventions as well as minimally invasive spine surgery and one of the largest interventional pain practices in the state.
Privately insured patients paid more for fewer medical services in 2013.
Privately insured Americans utilized fewer medical services in 2013 than the previous year, yet healthcare spending increased. The annual survey published by the Health Care Cost Institute revealed Americans younger than age 65 participating in employer health plans spent an average of $4,864 per enrollee in 2013, up $183 (3.9 percent) from the year before. Read the full report on Becker’s Hospital Review.
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