It might sound counterintuitive, but for an ambulatory surgery center (ASC), performing more cases doesn’t always mean making more money. If the total cost of a procedure exceeds the amount a payer will reimburse, the facility is the one that...
Investing in ambulatory surgery center software can provide numerous benefits to an ASC. It can deliver deep insight into a surgery center's financial, clinical, and/or operational performance. It can automate previously manual processes. It can...
Last month I was invited to host a webinar, along with our Director of Revenue Cycle Services, Jessica Nelson, to educate our listeners on the benefits that outsourcing their revenue cycle can bring to their ambulatory surgery center (ASC), and...
Every August, individuals from the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) industry come together to celebrate National ASC Month. These celebrations are usually met with in-person facility tours and events that include local elected officials and afford...
COVID-19 has all of us on edge. You may have gotten the virus – or you know someone who did. Your job may have been affected by furloughs, layoffs, financial hardships, and other stressful situations.
I’m a meeting person and given my role as Chief Nursing Officer, I get to attend many national and state industry conferences. Why? I thrive on educating, learning, and sharing how SIS solutions help ASCs. I also love to network and see industry...
I recently hosted a webinar: ASC Case Costing: Fundamentals and Best Practices in which I broke down the importance and usefulness of case costing, along with providing some “how-tos.” Before we dive in, it is important to understand what case...
I had the pleasure of hosting a webinar for Surgical Information Systems last week on inventory management. The objectives I set forth were simple: 1. Define the steps needed to build an inventory system within an ASC, 2. Describe the supply...
During a recent webinar I presented with Ann Geier, chief nursing officer for Surgical Information Systems, I covered the myriad areas of consideration for returning to normal ASC operations from an infection prevention perspective. As I was...
There are so many things to remember when having to significantly reduce your case volumes, temporarily close your ASC, and then ultimately return to operations and reopen your facility. In an effort to help Ambulatory Surgery Centers and their...
SIS solutions take top spot in 15 of the survey's 18 performance areas of operational excellence, leading to #1 ASC EHR vendor ranking for fifth consecutive year.
Following a recent webinar presentation on "Days to Bill: Optimizing This Critical Key Performance Indicator," Jho Outlaw, senior vice president of Revenue Cycle Services for SIS, and Jessica Nelson, director of Revenue Cycle Services for SIS,...
Looking to give your ASC's financial performance a boost? These five tips can deliver a mix of short- and long-term improvements that can all contribute to a stronger bottom line.
Surgical Information Systems (SIS), an industry leader focused exclusively on delivering perioperative IT to ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and hospitals, announces its sponsorship of the "ASC Podcast with John Goehle."
ASC business offices should strive to improve their performance, even when that performance is strong. By consistently setting and working toward goals that can enhance business office performance, ASCs will better set themselves up for short-...
Today's ASCs find themselves under significant pressures. They are challenged by tightened reimbursement; growing competition for physicians, patients and staff; greater scrutiny by regulatory bodies; increased reporting requirements; and more.
Remote work is on the rise. As a Global Workplace Analytics and FlexJobs report notes, the number of people telecommuting in the United States increased 159% between 2005 and 2017. Between 2016 and 2017, remote work increased nearly 8%. Over the...
Over just the past few years, there have been some substantial changes concerning ASC reimbursement. These have challenged many surgery centers to consider everything from the specific services they deliver to how they perform collections to...
Q&A with Jho Outlaw and Jessica Nelson
Following a recent webinar presentation on "ASC Revenue Cycle 2019 Review and 2020 Forecast," Jho Outlaw, senior vice president of Revenue Cycle Services for SIS, and Jessica Nelson, director of Revenue...
Ann Geier, MS, RN, CNOR, CASC, chief nursing officer for Surgical Information Systems, shares guidance to help ASCs more effectively complete small, essential jobs in a new article for Outpatient Surgery Magazine.
The consequences of poor coding in an ASC can be severe. Inaccurate coding can lead to lost revenue, unnecessary expenses, insurance audits, angry patients, and even trigger fraud investigations. Limiting the number of coding errors and quickly...
In October, SIS announced the launch of SIS Charts™ Anesthesia, an optional module for the SIS Complete™ comprehensive ASC technology solution. SIS Charts Anesthesia replaces paper anesthesia documentation with an electronic chart for all care...
With ASCs typically only performing a few quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI) studies each year, all must be worthwhile and deliver valuable insights into an ASC's operations. But achieving these objectives is easier said than...
Q&A with Jho Outlaw and Jessica Nelson
Following a recent webinar presentation on "Leveraging Technology to Enhance ASC Collections," Jho Outlaw, senior vice president of Revenue Cycle Services for SIS, and Jessica Nelson, director of Revenue...
While the purposes of quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI) for ASCs are clear, achieving QAPI objectives can prove challenging. Failure to properly conduct QAPI studies can put an ASC into regulatory hot water with the Centers for...
Jennifer Bednarchik is the chief operations officer for Livonia Outpatient Surgery Center in Livonia, Michigan, where she has worked since 2011. Livonia recently implemented SIS Complete™, the cloud-based ASC management and clinical documentation...
Technology can greatly enhance an ASC's billing and collections efforts. Technology can improve claims completion and submission speed, boost staff productivity, decrease payment time, and reduce expenses, to name just a few ways the right...
The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) is the national voice for ASCs. Its staff works to ensure the interests of surgery centers are represented on the federal level and develops a wide range of resources to help ASCs deliver excellent...
Following a recent webinar presentation on "Stop Guessing, Start Measuring: Choosing Data-Based QAPI Study Topics," Daren Smith, director of ASC Solutions for Surgical Information Systems who previously worked as the director of clinical services...
The conclusion of August brings with it the end of National ASC Month — a time designated by the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) to celebrate ASCs and the surgery center industry while raising awareness of the benefits ASCs provide...
Opening a new surgery center requires a significant financial outlay for investors. There are those costs associated with developing the physical plant, purchasing equipment and supplies, and hiring and training staff. Once an ASC opens,...
Ann Geier, MS, RN, CNOR(E), CASC, is the chief nursing officer for Surgical Information Systems. She has worked in the ASC industry for more than 30 years and has been responsible for every aspect of ASC financial and clinical operations.
In...
Q&A with Jho Outlaw and Jessica Nelson
Following a recent webinar presentation on "Billing on Day 1" Jho Outlaw, senior vice president of Revenue Cycle Services for SIS, and Jessica Nelson, director of Revenue Cycle Services for SIS, fielded...
When researching electronic health record (EHR) systems, ASCs will find that they seem to have a lot of options. On the surface, this would appear to be advantageous. After all, more choices should mean more opportunities to identify the...
Daren Smith, director of ASC solutions for Surgical Information Systems, shares insight to help ASCs select the most appropriate quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI) study topics in the June/July 2019 issue of ASC Focus.
Q&A with Jho Outlaw and Jessica Nelson
Following a recent webinar presentation on "Cleaning Up Your Claims: Techniques, Tips, and Tools," Jho Outlaw, senior vice president of Revenue Cycle Services for SIS, and Jessica Nelson, director of...
Over the past several years, the ASC industry has experienced significant changes. Patient responsibility is on the rise as high-deductible health plans continue to gain traction in the insurance market, and payers and employers shift more of the...
The combination of ASC management, clinical documentation, patient engagement, and physician mobile capabilities on a single database cloud platform redefines expectations for ASC software
Patient financial responsibility after insurance is growing at a rapid rate and showing no signs of slowing down. With patients increasingly responsible for a greater portion of their healthcare costs, ASCs must effectively collect these higher...
Q&A with Jho Outlaw and Jessica Nelson
Following a recent webinar presentation on "Patient Collections: How to Improve Success Without Hurting Satisfaction," Jho Outlaw, senior vice president of Revenue Cycle Services for SIS, and Jessica...
Q&A with Jho Outlaw and Jessica Nelson
Following a recent webinar presentation on "Patient Collections: How to Improve Success Without Hurting Satisfaction," Jho Outlaw, senior vice president of Revenue Cycle Services for SIS, and Jessica...
SIS’ Ann Geier, MS, RN, CNOR, CASC, chief nursing officer and Daren Smith, BSN, RN, director of ASC solutions discuss the role electronic documentation plays in ambulatory surgery centers and take a look at the changing trends in a new article*...
SIS solutions take top spot in 14 of the survey's 18 performance areas of operational excellence, leading to #1 ASC EHR vendor ranking for fourth consecutive year.
ATLANTA – March 26, 2019 – Surgical Information Systems (SIS), an industry leader...
An ASC's governing board plays a pivotal role in supporting a center's efforts to keep patients and staff safe from infections and maintain compliance with rules and regulations (e.g., Medicare, accreditation). Here are 10 of a governing body's...
ASC management is no easy task. Besides overseeing the operations of a facility expected to provide exceptional surgical care that delivers optimal outcomes, management must work to meet the needs of its physicians while also overseeing a diverse...
How do you know if your ASC's business is doing well? Not just think you know, but how do you really know? That's where data comes in. Only by collecting appropriate data on key performance indicators (KPI) and then measuring your performance can...
Ann Geier, MS, RN, CNOR, CASC, chief nursing officer for Surgical Information Systems, provides tips on ASC management and succession planning in two articles recently published by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN).
Denied claims are an unfortunate but accepted fact of life for any ASC. If you submit claims to payers, you will receive denials. Some are likely to be justified; others not. But what does not — and should not — be accepted is receiving no...
Ann Geier, MS, RN, CNOR, CASC, chief nursing officer for Surgical Information Systems, provides guidance to help ASC professionals interested in and planning to pursue the Certified Administrator Surgery Center (CASC) credential secure support...
While ASCs have long asked patients to complete surveys following procedures, administrators and staff often paid insufficient attention to the results.
Investing in ambulatory surgery center software can provide numerous benefits to an ASC. It can deliver deep insight into a surgery center's financial, clinical, and/or operational performance. It can automate previously manual processes. It can...
Daren Smith, RN, director of ASC solutions for Surgical Information Systems, will present the webinar "When a Physician Leaves: Strategies for Surviving and Thriving" as part of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) 2018 webinar series.
Case costing is a critical process for ensuring an ASC remains financially viable and successful. While it can be a lengthy process, there are numerous reasons why any time spent on case costing should be considered time well spent.
August is National ASC Month. Designated by the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA), National ASC Month is intended to celebrate ASCs and the ASC industry and help raise awareness of the multitude of benefits surgery centers deliver to...
Earning ASC accreditation can serve multiple purposes. By working to meet accreditation standards, ASCs are more likely to keep patients and staff safe. Accreditation is a way of demonstrating that an ASC is committed to delivering high-quality...
Following my recent presentation during a webinar hosted by SIS on "Boosting Staff Productivity: Getting the Most Out of Each Generation," I was asked three terrific questions. Here they are, along with my responses, summarized for readability.
Developing a strong relationship with your ASC's payors can yield significant benefits. It may help you secure better contracts and reimbursement rates. You may find it easier to address problems associated with denials and other billing...
As part of their efforts to ensure safety and maintain compliance with regulations from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), ASCs are expected to provide infection prevention and control training for their staff. Staff members who...
There are two scenarios in which ASC leadership will typically find itself under pressure to replace a surgeon who contributes significant case volume. The first — and preferable — scenario is a scheduled exiting from the ASC, such as one tied to...
You've been working as the administrator of an ASC for several years, and you're good at it. Your ASC performs well. Physicians and staff are happy. Outcomes are excellent. Distributions are consistent. But for some reason, it's becoming more...
Staff orientation in an ASC is more than just a requirement of state and accreditation surveyors. It is vital to delivering quality care, promoting safe practices, encouraging teamwork and securing buy-in of an ASC's mission and culture. Missteps...
An interview with six ASC professionals
Kara Newbury is the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association’s (ASCA) regulatory counsel. In this position, she spearheads ASCA’s federal regulatory efforts, primarily working with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Heather Ashby is...
While the various ASC accreditation organizations (e.g., AAAHC, The Joint Commission) have different standards they expect accredited surgery centers to meet, one area these organizations agree upon is how ASCs should approach quality assurance...
There are several reasons for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) to invest the time and resources in developing a robust quality assurance performance improvement (QAPI) program. The development, implementation and maintenance of an ongoing,...
SIS joins ASC industry professionals from throughout Ohio for this three-day event in Columbus.
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma expected to hit the Florida coast this weekend, we thought it would be a good idea to reissue this post from last year.
Quality Improvement studies can be an effective way to improve the clinical, administrative, and financial operations of your ambulatory surgery center. But when it comes to implementing an effective quality improvement program, many ASCs don’t...
Q: What is National ASC Week?
Danielle Kaster: Each year, members of Congress typically spend the entire month of August in their home states, taking advantage of opportunities to meet with their constituents and gain a better understanding of...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated its "Guideline for the Prevention of Surgical Site Infection (SSI)." The 2017 version of the guideline, published in the JAMA Surgery journal, updates the last version,...
There are more than 700 people in the U.S. who have earned the CASC (Certified Administrator Surgery Center) credential, but you might be surprised to find that they don’t all have traditional healthcare backgrounds. In this blog series, we'll...
Since materials represent the second highest expense for most ASCs, trailing staffing costs, the money and time lost due to poor materials management can add up quickly. On a positive note, this also means even small improvements to a poorly run...
Lean Six Sigma combines the concept of lean production, a waste-elimination method often associated with the Toyota Production System, and Six Sigma, a set of process improvement techniques and tools developed by an engineer for Motorola.
From May 3-6, administrative and clinical professionals from ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) across the country will convene in Washington, D.C. for ASCA 2017, the premier meeting for the ASC industry hosted by the Ambulatory Surgery Center...
AmkaiOffice Version 3.19 delivers enhanced claims management functionality to help ASCs more effectively manage high volumes and optimize productivity
Enhancements to the AmkaiOffice Electronic Remittance Posting (ERP) module enables ASCs to...
SIS & Amkai recognize client accomplishments at GO!2017 in Atlanta.
ATLANTA – March 22, 2017 – Surgical Information Systems (“SIS”), a leader in perioperative information systems announced the winners of the 2017 Perioperative Leadership Awards...
In honor of Patient Safety Awareness Week (March 12-18) we’re examining different aspects of patient safety in Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs). In this post, we look at three ways communication is vital to keeping patients safe.
We all know...
Q&A with Kara Newbury and Heather Ashby of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA)
By Heather Keidel Hayes
Recruiting new staff and retaining existing talent is a common challenge that crosses industries. In the ambulatory surgery space, this issue is unique in that skilled surgeons are actively courted by multiple facilities...
Rapidly changing industry dynamics, regulatory changes brought on by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and other legislation, the transition to ICD-10, and increased patient responsibility pose significant challenges to the Ambulatory Surgery Center...
We previously discussed the year that was for ambulatory surgery centers in our column "ASCs in 2016: A Year in Review." With 2017 upon us, it's an appropriate time to look ahead to the year that will be.There are many areas of focus for ASCs in...
It might sound counterintuitive, but for an ambulatory surgery center (ASC), performing more cases doesn’t always mean making more money. If the total cost of a procedure exceeds the amount a payer will reimburse, the facility is the one that...
Daren Smith, RN, BSN, is a clinical solution specialist for AmkaiSolutions and Surgical Information Systems.
Opening a new outpatient surgery facility – whether it’s an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) or hospital outpatient department (HOPD) – can be a daunting task, especially when starting from the ground up with new construction, unestablished...
New product functionality streamlines registry participation
November 28, 2016 – AmkaiSolutions, a trusted industry leader in delivering comprehensive solutions to ambulatory surgery centers, today announced that AmkaiSolutions now facilitates...
ASC Revenue Cycle 2019 Review and 2020 ForecastWatch RCS experts as they highlight the most significant ASC revenue cycle developments of 2019 and discuss what developments ASCs can anticipate in 2020.
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