The decision comes per the recommendations of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the U.S. surgeon general and others. The ASC has been screening patients before entering the facility for the disease, and has only been seeing one patient in the office at a time. The surgery center said it’s willing to share surgical supplies with hospitals that need them and is sharing its safety protocols with other facilities.
“I want to be clear, we’re not epidemiologists here — we’re specialists in restoring vision. That said, for the past several weeks, we worked very hard to implement safety protocols to protect patients that needed our services,” said Lance Kugler, MD, founder and head surgeon at Kugler Vision. “We have surgeon colleagues in China, South Korea, Italy and other areas that have been affected over the past several months, and we have tried to stay ahead of the curve and learn from the policies and processes they have implemented.”
More articles on ophthalmology:
Perspective: Eyecare practices should prepare for more patients after COVID-19 pandemic
Private equity firm acquires two South Carolina eye practices
EyeCare Partners keeping ASCs, clinics open for emergency surgeries
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.