ASC Industry News

Check out these articles for some of the latest hot topics in ASC Industry News:

ASCs hand out fewer narcotics after ACDF than hospital surgery centers, study finds

With the opioid epidemic front of mind for ambulatory surgery center leaders, a study in the International Journal of Spine Surgery researched if hospital surgery centers or ASCs prescribed more narcotics after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. The study comprised 76 patients who underwent one- or two-level ACDF between 2013 and 2015. Of the patients, 42 were treated at a hospital surgery center and 34 at an ASC.

Source: Becker’s ASC Review

Effective July 1, 2019: Revision requires THKR-certified organizations to join AJRR

The Joint Commission on November 7 announced a new requirement of participation in a national joint replacement registry for its advanced Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement (THKR) certification, effective July 1, 2019.

Source: The Joint Commission

ASCs to receive 2.1% increase in 2019 Medicare reimbursement: 6 things to know

CMS released the 2019 final payment rule for hospital outpatient surgery departments and ASCs, including an average rate adjustment on procedures, according to a statement from the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association.

Source: Becker’s ASC Review

U.S. Female Surgeons Expect to Earn $1 Million Less Than Men: Study

Female surgeons expect to earn about $1 million less in their careers than their male colleagues, U.S. research showed on Thursday, illustrating a dramatic case of a gender wage gap as scrutiny of sexism in the workplace grows. Women in general surgery expected to be paid an average of $30,000 less each year than men over a 30-year career and felt less comfortable negotiating pay, according to LA BioMed, a California-based research institute.

Source: ASCA/Reuters

Thinking of Buying Whole-Room Disinfection Systems

Whole-room disinfection systems don’t replace the need to carefully wipe down high-touch areas or mop OR floors, but they do attack bacteria on surfaces that even the most diligent member of your turnover team might have missed.

Source: Outpatient Surgery