March/April 2011 Issue of Becker's ASC Review

6 Key Legal Issues Facing Ambulatory Surgery Centers

2011 should be an interesting year for surgery center legal issues. Click to continue »

7 Costs Your ASC Could Cut in 2011

In 2010, Tampa Bay Specialty Surgery Center won National Surgical Care's "Center of the Year" Award for saving a significant amount of money on utilities, supply cost, staffing and services. Click to continue »

12 Recent Surgery Center Transactions

2010 saw a significant increase over 2009 in surgery center transactions. During 2010, the pricing of transactions tended to increase from 2009. Click to continue »

Publisher’s Letter: March

ASC Industry Growing, Chains More Active, Existing ASCs Working to Improve; 9th Annual Orthopedic, Spine and Pain Management-Driven ASC (June 9-11, Chicago) Click to continue »

7 Steps for ASCs to Take Before Partnering With a Hospital or Management Company

When physician-owners of an ambulatory surgery center partner with a management company or hospital, they forge a long-term bond that would be difficult to undo if circumstances deteriorate, says Kevin McDonough, senior manager in the Dallas office of VMG Health. Click to continue »

3 Frequently Asked ASC Valuation Questions

As a business appraiser and frequent speaker on valuation topics, I have the opportunity to discuss valuation issues with individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds and experience levels. Click to continue »

9 Biggest Issues for Orthopedic Surgeons in 2011

Industry experts identify nine of the top concerns for orthopedic surgeons in 2011. Click to continue »

Spine Surgery in 2011 and Beyond: 7 Points About the Future of Spine Surgery

Many of the new techniques and equipment developed over the past few years for spine surgery have leaned toward the minimally invasive approach, which is gaining in popularity across the country. Click to continue »

5 Areas Profitable ASCs are Still Leaving Money on the Table

There is a mentality at some ambulatory surgery centers that if the facility is making money, it must performing well. Click to continue »

5 More Physician Statistics ASCs Should Track and Benchmark

In a previously published story, Brian Brown, regional vice president of operations of Meridian Surgical Partners, identified five ambulatory surgery center physician statistics to track and benchmark ("5 Physician Statistics ASCs Should Track and Benchmark"). Click to continue »

8 Areas to Reinvest in an ASC

Physician-owners need to continually reinvest in their surgery centers to make sure the facilities are safe, well- run and attract patients, says Mike Lipomi, president and CEO of Surgical Management Professionals in Sioux Falls, S.D., which runs 11 ASCs and one physician-owned hospital. Click to continue »

4 Ways Surgeons Can Increase ASC Distributions

Thomas Wherry, principal for Total Anesthesia Solutions and medical director for Health Inventures, discusses four ways ambulatory surgery center surgeons can increase their distributions by cutting significant costs. Click to continue »

4 Kinds of Physicians Who Have Not Yet Invested in an ASC

Bill Heath, chief development officer at Practice Partners in Healthcare, in Birmingham, Ala., identifies four kinds of physicians who have not yet invested in an ASC and what it might take to persuade them to invest in your ASC. Click to continue »

12 Decisions That Can Cripple a Surgery Center

Brent Lambert, MD, founding principal, and Luke Lambert, CEO, of ASCOA, make regular visits to ambulatory surgery centers throughout the United States which are struggling financially and in need of a turnaround. Click to continue »

Money-Makers: 15 Statistics on Physician Compensation

Here are 15 statistics on physician compensation for the top three specialties that drive case volume in ASCs. Click to continue »

ASCs Play an Important Role in ACOs

The Accountable Care Organization provision within the healthcare reform law has generated a significant amount of discussion and speculation. Click to continue »

Outpatient Spine: 6 Big Questions

There is no doubt that the market for outpatient spine surgery continues to evolve and mature. Click to continue »

Are You an Excellent Employer?: Professional Employer Organizations for Your Healthcare Human Resource Functions

Are you prepared to handle all of the challenges associated with being an employer? Click to continue »

4 Ways for ASCs to Provide Competitive Benefits

Pam Carter, business controller, and Sandy Berreth, administrator of Brainerd Lakes Surgery Center in Baxter, Minn., discuss strategies they use to keep benefits competitive. Click to continue »

5 Ways to Incent Good Behavior With Staff Bonuses

Surgery center administrators agree: Staff members respond to financial incentives. Here are five ways to improve staff performance and your ASC's operations by distributing bonuses. Click to continue »

10 Recent Findings on Anesthesia Quality Issues

Here are 10 recent studies on anesthesia quality issues, according to reports from various publications and organizations. Click to continue »

3 Ideas for Boosting GI Case Volume Through Marketing

Here are three ideas to increase case volume in your GI-driven ASC through marketing to members of the physician and local community. Click to continue »

ASC Best Practice: Communicate and Confirm Patient Financial Responsibility Prior to Day of Surgery

Ambulatory surgery center industry experts regularly preach about the difficulties ASCs face when attempting to collect co-pays and deductibles following a procedure and patient discharge. Click to continue »

10 Assertions Payors Make in ASC Contract Negotiations and How to Respond

T.K. Miller, MD, medical director of Roanoke (Va.) Ambulatory Surgery Center, cites 10 assertions payors make in contract negotiations and how he would respond. Click to continue »

California ASCs Face 20% Reduction in Workers’ Compensation Reimbursement

Ambulatory surgery centers in California are facing a 20 percent reduction in reimbursement under proposed regulations from the California Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC), according to a news release from the California Ambulatory Surgery Association. Click to continue »

10 Key ASC Managed Care Contract Provisions and Terms to Know

Ken Bulow, COO of GENASCIS, identifies 10 key provisions and terms to look for in your surgery center's managed care contracts and offers recommendations for what you should expect under these terms. Click to continue »

17 Steps to Take When a Payor Changes Payment System From Medicare-Grouper to APC-Based

What should you do when a payor notifies you that it is changing its payment system from a Medicare-grouper methodology to an APC-based methodology? Click to continue »

8 Ways to Limit Vendor Reps’ Influence Over ASC Surgeons

When Larry Teuber, MD, talks about vendor representatives entering ambulatory surgery centers, his voice rises like a father talking about the undesirable boyfriend of his teenage daughter. Click to continue »

4 Biggest Opportunities in Spine Surgery — From Spine Surgeon Dr. Jay Khanna of Johns Hopkins

A. Jay Khanna, MD, MBA is an associate professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering at The Johns Hopkins University and serves as the co-director of the Division of Spine Surgery at Johns Hopkins Orthopaedic Surgery at Good Samaritan Hospital. Click to continue »

Physician/Hospital Contracting — A Compliance Approach: 11 Key Concepts

The federal government has greatly increased its regulatory efforts related to investigating, prosecuting and combating healthcare fraud. Click to continue »

Interpreting the New Medicare Same-Day H&P Guidance for ASCs

Dawn Q. McLane, RN, MSA, CASC, CNOR, regional vice president of operations, and Cindy A. King RN, CPHQ, director of clinical, quality and compliance, for Health Inventures share their interpretation of the recently issued guidance clarification from CMS for ambulatory surgery centers concerning ASCs performing a patient's history and physical (H&P) on the same day of surgery. Click to continue »