Here are seven news updates for ambulatory surgery center leaders to know for July 23, 2015.
2015 is a record-setting year for fellowship appointments
According to the National Resident Matching Program, 2015 marks a record-breaking year for fellowship appointments, notes a TexasMedicine report. Of the fellowship programs at allopathic medical schools offering at least 30 positions, these are the top five subspecialties:
• Gynecologic oncology — 92.2 percent
• Pediatric surgery — 89.6 percent
• Hand surgery — 89.3 percent
• Interventional radiology — 85.2 percent
• Neuro-radiology — 84.3 percent
68% of visits for acute respiratory infections result in an antibiotic prescription
While there is variation in how healthcare providers use antibiotics, they do contribute to the problem of antibiotic overuse, which gives rise to antibiotic resistance, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers also found that 59 percent of the variation in how often antibiotics were prescribed was attributed to the habits of individual providers.
4 ASCs join price transparency website
Four additional surgery centers have joined Pricing Healthcare, an online price transparency platform. One Fee Surgery in Chicago, Montgomery Surgery Center in Rockville, Md., Abington Surgical Center in Philadelphia and SurgCenter at Pima Crossing in Phoenix are the ASCs that have joined the platform.
Good Shepherd Medical Center opens surgery center in Oregon
Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston, Ore., will soon open its surgery center, a project three years in the making, according to an East Oregonian report. The surgery center houses two surgery suites, with the capability to add two more, and the suites are 700 square feet each. The hospital's surgery center expansion project cost $15.3 million, according to the report.
Northfield Hospital & Clinics to open $6.3M surgery center
Northfield Hospital & Clinics, based in Farmington, Minn., plans to open a new surgery center in August, according to a Northfield News report. The $6.3 million, 9,000-square-foot surgery center is scheduled to open in August. The first procedure will take place on Aug. 24, according to the report. Planning and construction for the surgery center has been ongoing for more than a year.
Modernizing Medicine to acquire gMed
Modernizing Medicine has signed a definitive agreement to acquire gastroenterology EHR company gMed. In addition to offering a GI-specific EHR, gMed also offers an endoscopy report writer, practice management solution, data analytics tool and revenue cycle management. Joe Rubinsztain, MD, CEO and founder of gMed, will be the president of gMed and become a part of the Modernizing Medicine senior management team. The transaction is expected to be completed in the third quarter of this year.
The American College of Surgeons responds to surgeon ratings
The American College of Surgeons issued a statement saying the usefulness of the "surgeon scorecard" information shared by Pro Publica and SurgeonRatings.org the week of July 13, 2015 is "questionable for a number of reasons." ACS believes that use of clinically validated data would have more fully taken into account the severity of the patient's condition when assessing surgeon performance. The ACS also calls for private payers, government, professional societies and public interest groups to share the responsibility of collecting and disseminating accurate clinical data.