ASC Leader 
The promise of quicker recovery and fewer complications from sedation, anesthesia, and pain management have drawn clinicians and patients alike to procedures performed in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and other outpatient settings. However, sedation, anesthesia, and analgesia add their own risks to those of the procedure itself. Understanding the latest…
Pressure to contain opioid overuse in the United States is at a boiling point. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that overdose deaths linked to opioid prescriptions have increased fivefold over the last two decades. To reduce reliance on opioid prescriptions, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services…
When considering educational needs in an ASC, you may have an advantage over your hospital peers. Many ASCs have specialty-specific physicians and patient populations, whereas other ASCs will have a more diverse physician group and patients. Regardless of facility specialty, employees are likely to have multiple generational learning styles. All surveying…
Each year, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) adapt to numerous federal regulatory policy reforms. As an example, since 2012, when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the Ambulatory Surgery Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program ASCs had been asking for, ASCs have reported data for a changing set of…
Amazing how fast the year has gone. It feels like I just finished the blog to say, “welcome,” and now I am taking a moment to wish you all a very happy holiday season. And now, more than ever, this blog is meant for all ambulatory surgery center leaders (whether…
The safety officer plays an important role in helping a healthcare facility maintain a safe environment for patients, staff, and visitors. The person in this role should complement the safety plan in helping to reduce risk. Responsibilities of the safety officer include assisting in staff safety education, monitoring the environment,…
We have all heard the safety instructions prior to takeoff: Put on your own oxygen mask first, before helping others around you. However, as nurses and caregivers, we are often so busy helping those around us that we don’t even think about applying our own “oxygen mask,” or what the…
Would You Be Scoped in Your Own Facility? Tips and Tricks to Endoscope Reprocessing by Nancy Schlossberg, BSN, RN, CGRN, CER, Program Director-Digestive Health Services, John Muir Health New guidelines from the American Cancer Society recommend that colorectal cancer screening begin at a younger age than what is currently…
Are Your Hands Clean? - Exploring the Importance of Hand Hygiene in ASCs by Donna Label, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, CNOR, Consultant Taylor, thank you so much for asking me to do this post for the new ASC blog with OR Manger. As this is my first entry, I felt…
