From: Becker Scott <becker@beckersasc.com>
Subject: [Becker's ASC E-Newsletter] 10 New Articles Posted to www.BeckersASC.com – See Below – Stark Act Issues, New York Out-of-Network Investigations, and More; Save $100 – Early Registration Discount Extended to May 8 for the Orthopedic, Pain Management and Spine Driven ASC Conference; 3 Days to Register for Key Strategies For Managed Care Contracting Audio Conference
Reply: becker@beckersasc.com
New Masthead

May 5, 2008

June 08 ortho short

Save $100: Early Registration Savings Extended to May 8 for June Orthopedics and Spine Driven ASC Conference 

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, has been extended until May 8.

Here are 25 of the great speakers you can hear:

  1. Tom Yerden, founder of Aspen Healthcare and now founder and CEO of TRY Health Care Solutions, and Bob Zasa, JD, founder of Woodrum/ASD, will speak on physician-hospital joint ventures.

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

  3. Dr. David Abraham, a spine surgeon in Wyomissing, Pa., will discuss the X-Stop procedure for spinal stenosis.

  4. Jack Amormino, the president and CEO of American Medical Buildings, will talk about ownership and financing of your medical real estate.

  5. Dr. Ajay Mangal, MBA, the president and CEO of Prexus Health Partners, will speak on developing a consistent model for success.

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

  7. 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.

  8. Scott Becker, JD, CPA, co-chair of the healthcare department at McGuireWoods, will present a strategic analysis for ASCs -- what works and what doesn't.

  9. 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.

  10. Dr. Jack Jensen, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and medical director of Athletic Orthopedics and Knee Center, an integrated health care plaza specializing in knee care, will speak on maintaining successful physician/investor relations over a long period of time.

  11. D.J. Hill, chief development officer at Titan Health Corporation, will present five creative strategies for overlaying orthopedic services over a struggling center.

  12. Amy Mowles, president and CEO of Mowles Medical Practice Management, will present "Pain Management in ASCs -- Yes, It Can Still Work."

  13. Bill Southwick, President and CEO of HealthMark Partners, an ASC development company, will discuss revitalizing an ASC and tips to improve an ASC immediately.

  14. Rick Pence, president and chief operating officer of National Surgical Care, will discuss post-acquisition success with an ASC.

  15. Ann Geier, RN, MS, CNOR, CASC, a vice president of operations at Ambulatory Surgery Centers of America, will present five tips for hiring outstanding staff and cost-efficient staffing strategies for ASCs.

  16. Dr. Jim Lynch, an extremely smart and gifted neurosurgeon, will discuss spine surgery as a core driver in a multi-specialty ASC.

  17. George Goodwin, vice president of mergers and acquisitions for Symbion Healthcare, and Dr. Brett Taylor, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in the treatment of adult neck and back pathologies at the Orthopedic Center of St. Louis, will present on building a spine-driven ASC.

  18. Susan Kizirian, RN, MBA, a vice president of operations at Ambulatory Surgery Centers of America, will speak on advanced case-costing for ASCs.

  19. Pat Sedlak, director of AON risk services, will discuss the use of captives and other strategies for orthopedic and neurosurgery groups and related facilities.

  20. Dr. Brent Lambert, a leading national physician and developer and owner of ASCs and founder of ASCOA, will speak on turning around ASCs.

  21. Mike McCoy, senior vice president of operations at Nueterra Healthcare, will speak on physician-owned community hospitals, and how to design and complete a hospital.

  22. Scott Becker and Jeff Clark of McGuireWoods will present on common legal and litigation issues for ASCs.

  23. Tom Michaud, the board chairman and CEO of Foundation Surgery Affiliates, will discuss how to hire and empower great administrators.

  24. 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.

  25. Dr. Tom Pliura, JD, the president and CEO of zChart and a lawyer, will present "Out-of-Network -- Can Your Business Still Utilize Out-of-Network as an Option -- How Insurers Are Fighting with ASCs and Imaging Facilities."

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. 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.

Just a few exhibit spots remain. If you are interested in exhibiting, contact Jessica Cole, Dan Bragaw, Emily Noyes or Matt Leemkuil.

ASC Society
10 New Articles on www.BeckersASC.com

1. 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 the full story.

2. State Alleges Long Island ASC Received $1 Million in Overpayments. An ongoing investigation into out-of-network billing practices by the New York state comptroller has resulted in allegations against a surgery center on Long Island that it inflated bills that cost the state $1 million, according to an audit report from Thomas DiNapoli, the state's comptroller. For the complete story, click here.

3. Permanent Recovery Audit Contractors to be Announced in May. With the recovery audit contractor (RAC) demonstration program ending this past March, CMS expects to name the new, permanent RACs by May, announced Kimberly L. Brandt, CMS program integrity director, at the Health Care Compliance Association's Compliance Institute held in New Orleans. For the complete story, go here.

4. Reports of Serious Events Up in Pa. Hospitals, ASCs. 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. 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. Click here for the full story.

5. 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. To learn more, click here.

6. Anti-Physician-Owned Hospitals Language Removed From Farm Bill.
The Senate conferees' offer to the House conferees to remove the language on physician-owned hospitals from the farm bill (H.R. 2419) was accepted, and the bill no longer includes a provision banning self-referral to new physician-owned hospitals. Read the complete story here.


7. Federal Court Rules Insurer Must Pay Fla. Pathology Group. In a case that has stretched on for years, the Third District Court of Appeals in Florida has ruled that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida must pay the doctors of Palmetto Pathology Services, which performs lab testing at Palmetto General and Coral Gables Hospitals, $1.5 million for their professional services, reports the Miami Herald. For more information, click here.

8. WSJ Examines Malignant Hyperthermia. The Wall Street Journal provides analysis about the causes and dangers of malignant hyperthermia. To read more, click here.

9. FTC Rules Illinois Hospital and Hospital it Owns Must Contract Separately. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has told Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Corporation (ENH) in Chicago that it must contract with managed-care plans separately from Highland Park Hospital, which ENH acquired in a merger. Click here to learn more about the order.

10. QSE Technologies Lauded by Colorado Ambulatory Surgery Center Association. QSE Technologies received the Circle of Excellence Award for Corporate Leadership at the recent Colorado Ambulatory Surgery Center Association annual meeting. To learn more about this recognition, click here.
Surgical Notes 401 Start 17x
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. McShane Construction. McShane Medical Properties is a leading integrated design/build construction and real estate development firm offering comprehensive services for the healthcare industry. For more information, click here.

2. zChart. zChart EMR was developed by dozens of healthcare professionals -- administrators, office staff, nurses and physicians -- at multi-specialty outpatient surgery centers. Years of development and everyday use in the real-world surgery center environment has created a first-rate, intelligent, 21st century surgical chart that will surprise and delight users. For more information, click here.

3. Woodrum/ASD. Founded in 1986 by Bob Zasa and David Woodrum and led today by Joe Zasa, Woodrum ASD has offices in Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles. It is one of oldest continuing, national ASC companies in the United States. For more information, click here.

4. Joint Commission. The Joint Commission, a leader in accrediting ASCs, has been accrediting ambulatory surgery facilities since 1975, and has more than 1,600 ambulatory organizations accredited nationwide. For more on the Joint Commission's services to ASCs, click here.

5. ASCs Inc. ASCs Inc. and Jon Vick help physician-owners of ASCs form strategic relationships with leading ASC management companies and hospitals, and also represents physician-owners of ASCs and medical office building real estate. For more information, click here.

6. Sanders Trust. The Sanders Trust owns, acquires and develops ASC buildings and medical office buildings nationwide; owners of ASC "bricks and mortar" who sell their facilities and lease them back from The Sanders Trust benefit by eliminating debt guarantees and freeing capital from an illiquid investment while maintaining control over building management and operation. To learn more, click here.

7. HealthMark Partners. HealthMark Partners, led by Bill Southwick, owns and operates single and multi-specialty ambulatory surgery centers throughout the United States by creating joint-ventures with physicians or physicians and hospitals; HMP's expertise includes ASC turnaround and de novo projects with the same goal to maximize patient and physician satisfaction while realizing healthy returns on investment. To learn more about HealthMark Partners, click here.

8. AMB Development Group. Jack Amormino's AMB Development Group specializes exclusively in the development of ambulatory care facilities nationwide, including surgery centers, medical office buildings, clinics, imaging centers and outpatient centers; from the conceptual idea to a completed facility, AMB can deliver a full-service package of services on a turnkey, total-support basis. For an expanded company profile, click here.

9. Kaye/Bassman International. Greg Zoch is a partner and managing director with Kaye/Bassman International, a 26-year-old executive search firm; Mr. Zoch specializes heavily in the ASC world and has served many of the industry's largest players by finding top talent at the facility and corporate level. To learn more, click here.

10. Affinity Insurance Services. Affinity Insurance Services is a leading provider of professional and general liability insurance protection to healthcare practitioners with over 1,000,000 healthcare clients insured, including physicians, dentists, nurses, healthcare group practices, and allied professionals; Affinity has been protecting practitioners within the healthcare industry for over 30 years. To learn more about Affinity, click here.

Ion Healthcare
Three Days Left Until Managed Care Contracting for ASCs: Current Trends, Challenges and Tactics to Obtain Great Results -- An Audio Conference

Join I. Naya Kehayes, CEO and founder of Eveia Health Consulting & Management and a leading figure in the ASC industry, and Caryl Serbin, president and founder of Surgery Consultants of America and Serbin Surgery Center Billing and an expert on ASC reimbursement and billing, as they discuss some of the most difficult managed care challenges facing ASCs today and provide you with expert tips and best practices that are sure to help you level the playing field -- and even give you the upper hand -- with payors.

Some of the issues they will discuss include:

  • payor consolidation and mergers;
  • negotiation strategies;
  • market statistics;
  • contract compliance;
  • restrictive contract clauses;
  • alignment with physician partners;
  • and much, much more!

DETAILS:

Date: Thursday, May 8, 2008

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

Length:
75 minutes

Cost:
$199 or $149 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 and to register, click here.

YOU WILL HEAR FROM:

I. Naya Kehayes, MPH, CEO and founder of Eveia Health Consulting & Management (EHCM), formerly Millennium Health Consulting. Ms. Kehayes is specialized in managed care, ASC operations and financial management. Through EHCM, she provides managed care contracting direction and consultation to several national ASC corporations. She is nationally recognized as an expert in reimbursement methodologies and managed care contract negotiations, as well as ASC financial and operations analysis. Moreover, Ms. Kehayes provides formal presentations nationally, on ASC business, operations and managed care contracting related topics.

Caryl Serbin, RN, BSN, LHRM, president and founder of Surgery Consultants of America, a development and management company for ASCs, and Serbin Surgery Center Billing, an ASC billing and coding company. Ms. Serbin has more than 25 years' experience in the healthcare industry, with the last 18 years spent in ambulatory surgery administration and consulting. Her companies provide development, management and billing services for numerous freestanding and hospital joint-ventured ASCs.
ScheduleSurgery.com May 08
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

 
*           *           *
 
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED TO OUR E-WEEKLY UPDATE FROM BECKER'S ASC REVIEW, PLEASE E-MAIL SBECKER@MCGUIREWOODS.COM OR GO TO WWW.BECKERSASC.COM.
ASC
Quick Links
  • Becker's ASC home
  • Order the ASC Review
  • ASC Review
    online archive

  • Click here to visit VMG Health
  • Click to visit Serbin Surgery Center Billing
  • Contact us toll-free: (800) 417-2035

    E-mail Scott Becker.
    Upcoming ASC Conferences
    Orthopedics-, Pain Management- and Spine-Driven ASC Conference
    Presented by ASC Communications
    June 19 to 21, 2008
    Chicago

    Improving Profitability and Business and Legal Issues for ASCs
    Presented by the
    ASC Association
    and ASC Comms

    Oct. 23 to 25, 2008
    Chicago

    For advertising or exhibiting conference information, please contact (800) 417-2035. Or contact our media consultants:

    Jessica Cole
    (312) 505-9387
    e-mail Jessica

    Emily Noyes
    (773) 454-7445
    e-mail Emily

    Dan Bragaw
    (312) 286-8709
    e-mail Dan

    Matt Leemkuil
    (423) 943-5682
    e-mail Matt

    For more information about print and online stories, please contact editorial.

    Stephanie Wasek
    Co-Editor-in-Chief
    (484) 866-1292
    e-mail Stephanie

    Rob Kurtz
    Director of Communications
    (410) 874-7681
    e-mail Rob
    Join Our Mailing List
    Safe Unsubscribe
    This email was sent to becker@beckersasc.com, by becker@beckersasc.com
    Beckers ASC | 77 W. Wacker Dr. Suite 4100 | Chicago | IL | 60601