ASC News

The American Medical Association adopted five new policies on emerging healthcare topics during the voting session of its interim meeting.

The CMS 2019 final payment rule for hospital outpatient surgery departments and ASCs included an average 2.1 percent reimbursement rate increase per procedure for ASCs, as well as a new code for non-opioid pain management drugs. 

As we approach the end of the year, ASCs should already be working on their budget for 2019 or at least planning to begin soon. A good starting point when designing a budget is to evaluate the current year's budget.…

When looking for an ASC that's best for surgeons and their patients, physicians can start their search by consulting Google, especially if the surgeon is new to the area, according to West Orange, N.J.-based Mountain Surgery Center.

New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health senior vice president and CIO John Bosco oversees the information technology department of New York's largest integrated healthcare network. 

Amy Holmes Riley is a trauma nurse and captain in the Air National Guard who serves as a nurse at Terre Haute, Ind.-based Wabash Valley Surgery Center and Union Hospital in her civilian life, the Tribune Star reports.

Vancouver-based Southwest Washington Regional Surgery Center informed 2,393 patients Nov. 6 about an email phishing attack that compromised their protected health information.

With more procedures making their way to ASCs, surgeons should be aware of differences in technology, scheduling and staff before selecting a center for their procedures, according to the West Orange, N.J.-based Mountain Surgery Center.

Due to the competition for ownership in the ASC market, investors should be aware of these five ownership and governance structures before securing ASC ownership, according to HealthCare Appraisers.

Here are the five most popular ASC stories for the week of Nov. 2 through Nov. 8.