Back in June, I wrote a blog about 10 easy ways to use SIS Complete. Since then, I’ve received several frequently asked questions during online demonstrations and webinars that I would like to address here. In case you aren’t familiar with SIS...
Jho Outlaw, Senior Vice President of Revenue Cycle Services for SIS, hosted a webinar recently and discussed the many benefits of having a remote workforce. Having managed a remote workforce for years and being an expert on the subject, she...
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...
Most states are now allowing elective surgeries to resume, but the ASCs are under strict guidelines, based on the state. I hosted a webinar on May 27, 2020, which was a forum for three industry experts to weigh in on what they are seeing and...
Why are patient management and physician engagement tools so important in this day and age? Will they really improve my ASC’s operations, or my patient’s satisfaction levels? We have been doing fine without them for years, why now? These are all...
Finding insightful information from the right sources regarding COVID-19 can be a difficult task. SIS has taken the liberty to gather helpful resources from reputable organizations to help keep healthcare workers, their patients, and their loved...
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-...
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...
Earlier this year, SIS delivered an industry-redefining ASC software platform called SIS Complete™. It’s the first comprehensive, cloud-based solution designed to meet the needs of the modern ASC. When we were developing SIS Complete, we...
What makes a claim "clean?" A clean claim is one that is never rejected. It does not receive any type of denial. It does not need to be filed more than once because of errors. When a claim is clean, it goes out your door, requires no additional...
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.
Ann Geier, MS, RN, CNOR, CASC, chief nursing officer for Surgical Information Systems, provides guidance concerning tracking and benchmarking ASC metrics in the premiere issue of ASC Manager.
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*...
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).
Q&A with Jho Outlaw and Jessica Nelson
Following a recent webinar presentation on "Put Your ASC's Data to Work: Leveraging KPIs and Benchmarking," Jho Outlaw, senior vice president of Revenue Cycle Services for SIS, and Jessica Nelson, director...
The following article features insight from Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) regulatory and government affairs experts.
2018 was quite a year for the ASC industry. There were so many noteworthy announcements affecting ASC operations that it would be easy to miss some of them. One of the areas that experienced the most significant activity during the year was...
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...
Add specialties. Purchase capital equipment and start performing new procedures. Expand the existing physical space and build additional operating rooms.
These are some of the common recommendations made to ASCs about how they can grow their...
Q&A with Jho Outlaw and Jessica Nelson
Following a recent webinar presentation on "Denials and Appeals: Expert Guidance to Improve Your ASC's Collections," Jho Outlaw, senior vice president of Revenue Cycle Services for SIS, and Jessica Nelson,...
ASC leaders interested in improving facility efficiency by enhancing multiple facets of their ASC's management should consider electronic patient tracking capabilities. Such functionality can help improve communications and the availability of...
Effective and efficient ASC billing is contingent upon numerous factors. Billing staff must be skilled in their craft and receive ongoing education to keep them current with changing rules. Physicians must understand what information the staff...
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...
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.
Following a recent webinar presentation on “Common Obstacles to Getting Paid in an ASC,” Jho Outlaw, senior vice president of Revenue Cycle Services for SIS, and Jessica Nelson, director of Revenue Cycle Services for SIS, were asked six questions...
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...
Ann Geier, MS, RN, CNOR, CASC, chief nursing officer for Surgical Information Systems, provides tips to help ASC professionals planning to take the Certified Ambulatory Infection Preventionist (CAIP) exam in a new article in Periop Today, an...
Congratulations ambulatory surgery centers! The ASC industry won a legislative victory last week when the U.S. House of Representatives on July 24 passed the ASC Payment Transparency Act of 2018 (H.R. 6138).
In the never-ending struggle to receive the deserved reimbursement for procedures performed in your ambulatory surgery center (ASC), it is important to closely — and continually — examine every step of the revenue cycle process. These proactive...
The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) is hard at work lobbying for the interests of ASCs nationwide and coordinating events designed to help raise awareness of the tremendous value surgery centers deliver to their communities.
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...
If you are like administrators in most ASCs, you run a lean team and may not have the time and resources to give cybersecurity the attention it needs. Unfortunately, this is just what cybercriminals are hoping for so they can exploit...
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,...
With reimbursement on the decline and expenses on the rise, it is imperative for ASCs to do all they can to maximize their deserved reimbursement. Leaving money on the table is no longer an option if an ASC wants to achieve growth, let alone keep...
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,...
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...
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...
You’ve probably heard a lot about “cloud computing” over the past few years — technology that lets you store and access data and software over the Internet, rather than on a hard drive, a server, or another physical storage device. The healthcare...
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...
One of the biggest challenges in healthcare IT today is a lack of interoperability: the ability for systems to truly communicate, regardless of maker or location. It’s a seamless transfer of data that we take for granted in other industries, like...
If you’re an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) trying to navigate changes as healthcare transitions to a value-based system, you know that strong revenue cycle management is more important than ever. But any number of issues can affect a facility’s...
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...
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're not all administrators. In this blog series, we'll get a personal look into...
Every industry has a unique vocabulary, and healthcare is no exception. The problem: some of those sticky, often-used words take on a life of their own, are easily misunderstood, and can even end up misused to the point of meaninglessness.
These...
What’s one of the keys to ensuring an organization’s longevity in any industry? Anticipating and adapting successfully to change. This couldn’t be any more true than in healthcare today, especially for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and...
Daren Smith, RN, BSN, is a clinical solution specialist for AmkaiSolutions and Surgical Information Systems.
Our knee jerk reaction to fix problems using legacy technologies is slowing down our opportunity to solve the current healthcare interoperability challenges. While most of us read articles and blog posts about the ONC interoperability...
Amit Jiwani is director of analytics for AmkaiSolutions and Surgical Information Systems. He presented on "Using Analytics for Insights to Accelerate Your ASC's Performance" at the Becker's ASC 23rd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of...
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're not all administrators. In this blog series, we'll get a personal look into...
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're not all administrators. In this blog series, we’ll get a personal look into...
Daren Smith, RN, BSN, is a clinical solution specialist for AmkaiSolutions and Surgical Information Systems. He will be serving on a panel discussing "Healthcare IT: Ideas and Solutions for ASCs" at the Becker's ASC 23rd Annual Meeting: The...
Today I'd like to take a moment to share some exciting news and brag a little. As the leader of SourceMed's Revenue Cycle Services business, I see firsthand every day how our expert team of certified coders, billers and collectors work diligently...
Q&A with Daren Smith
Daren Smith, RN, BSN, is a clinical solution specialist for AmkaiSolutions and Surgical Information Systems. He will be presenting on "Managing Your Quality Program" at the Alabama Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers ...
What comes to mind when you think about how healthcare has advanced in the last decade? Maybe you think about vaccines that have all but eradicated previously fatal ailments? Or new research surrounding preventative healthcare or social media...
For National Health IT Week, we're sharing content covering the many roles of technology in the outpatient healthcare space. Today's post contains excerpts from Senior Director of Product Management Saundra Monroe's "Data, Technology and the...
During National Health IT Week, we're kicking off a new blog series on using technology to solve common issues in outpatient facilities. Our first installment focuses on the challenge of communication between surgeons and ASCs.
As I travel each...
This week, SourceMed is proud to partner with HIMSS and other forward-thinking companies across the country in celebrating National Health IT Week.
National Health IT Week is an annual event offering all healthcare stakeholders an opportunity to...
Data. It's a small word for something that plays such a big part in monitoring the health of your revenue cycle. Today, we have the ability to capture and analyze an amazing amount of numbers and statistics at every step of the patient...
Thomas Pinelli is director of product management for AmkaiCharts. He will be serving as a panelist for a session on " Trends in ASC Technology" at the 3rd Annual New York Metro ASC Symposium, scheduled for September 14.
In a survey of over 8,000 physicians and clinical users of EHR systems, AmkaiSolutions ranked first among Ambulatory EHR vendors for customer satisfaction and loyalty.
For more than 40 years, healthcare costs in the United States have outpaced other nations. It would stand to reason that outcomes would be better, too. But research reveals that isn’t the case. A 2015 report by the Commonwealth Fund states that...
CASC Certification is a significant endorsement of the skills and knowledge that are needed to effectively manage an ambulatory surgery center (ASC). We've already explored what it means to be CASC Certified and how to maintain your certification,
Q&A with Charlie Immordino of Ambulatory Surgery Center Consultants
Charlie Immordino, RN, CASC, is principal and president/CEO of Ambulatory Surgery Center Consultants, LLC, and an Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care surveyor.
The Certified Administrator Surgery Center (CASC) credential is a tangible way to demonstrate your deep understanding of the skills and knowledge required to be a successful ASC administrator. But in order to earn the certification, you must pass...
Ever heard the phrase, "You’re only as strong as your weakest link?" Taken literally, that’s the amount of physical force you need to break a metal chain; and you're not likely doing that at work every day. Metaphorically, it could translate to...
In outpatient healthcare, revenue cycle management is only as good as the people working toward a strong revenue cycle. From the time you enter a claim to the minute it’s paid, a human chain springs into action. Collaboration is vital, and weak...
Healthcare is the business of healing. However, outpatient facilities must still operate as an actual business and remain profitable in order to keep the doors open. But the times are changing, and the way that the clinical, financial, and...
With the demand for experienced ASC administrators rising, many candidates are taking additional steps toward advancing their career by earning a Certified Administrator Surgery Center (CASC) credential. In a previous post, we covered the basics...
Competition for the best Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) administration jobs is very competitive, and the field is growing rapidly. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for qualified Healthcare Administrators will increase by...
Three Initial Steps
by Rhonda Hixson, Principle Solution Architect, AmkaiSolutions
Steven Selde is the ASC Association's (ASCA) assistant regulatory counsel. In this position he assists with ASCA's regulatory and legislative activities and outreach with an emphasis on health IT related issues, and serves as a liaison for the...
Do your research before you buy
By: Robert Kurtz
Although the Meaningful Use Program does not directly affect ASCs, the indirect effects are compelling ASCs to have a better understanding of EMRs, interoperability and the role of ASCs in the...
Jessica Edmiston, BS, CPC, CASCC, is the senior vice president of performance review and an AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM trainer with National Medical Billing Services (NMBS). NMBS provides billing and coding solutions for ambulatory surgery centers...
Kara Newbury is on the ASC Association's (ASCA) regulatory counsel. In this position, she spearheads ASCA’s federal regulatory efforts, primarily working with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Todd Logan, MBA, CASC, national vice president of sales for AmkaiSolutions, will serve on a panel at the upcoming Becker's ASC Review's 13th Annual Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference + The Future of Spine in Chicago that...
When it comes to software affordability, a cloud based solution can be the best way to cut costs and lower total cost of ownership. Acquiring and maintaining a complex IT environment requires valuable time and financial resources. With changing...
Ryan Crean is product manager for AmkaiCharts at AmkaiSolutions.
Becker's ASC Review's latest article on managing ASC Billing processes is an ode to efficiency and effectiveness. In the busy ambulatory surgery center environment, it's difficult to properly manage billing. Many ASC's are hoping to turn around...
Cheryl Bloode is director at Memorial Spine & Neuroscience Center in South Bend, Ind.
By Heidi Babb, Vice President of Revenue Cycle, Partners Medical Consulting
Joan Mckibben is administrator and director of nursing for Ambulatory Surgery Center of Somerset in Bridgewater, N.J.
Susan Nance, RN, CASC, is administrator of Gateway Surgery Center in Phoenix, Ariz., a member of the AmSurg Corporation.
Steve Henry is administrator at Surgery Center at Liberty Hospital in Liberty, Mo.
By Rhonda Hixson, Director, Product Management, AmkaiOffice, AmkaiSolutions
An article recently appeared in Becker's ASC Review describing five frequent coding and billing errors that all ASCs should avoid.
Howard Mullins, RN, CASC, is administrator/chief nursing officer of Triangle Orthopaedics Surgery Center in Raleigh, N.C. The single-specialty ASC opened and went live with both the AmkaiCharts electronic medical records system and AmkaiOffice...
Rhonda Hixson is director of product management for AmkaiOffice at AmkaiSolutions.
Beverly Primeau, RN, MBA, is administrator for Concord Ambulatory Surgery Center in Concord, N.H. Concord Ambulatory Surgery Center is a multi-specialty ASC providing procedures in ENT; orthopedics; plastic, reconstructive and cosmetic surgeries;...
Tabitha Vaughn is administrator at St. Charles Surgery Center in St. Charles, Mo. The ASC opened and went live with AmkaiCharts and AmkaiOffice in mid-2012.
Kathy Allison, MHA, BSN, is vice president of Covenant Community Pain Solutions for ambulatory surgery center owner and operator Covenant Surgical Partners. Covenant has partnered with AmkaiSolutions since 2009.
Brenda Page, RN, MBA, is director and Sarah Moffat is business office manager for Carolina Center for Specialty Surgery in Charlotte, N.C. They have been an AmkaiSolutions partner since 2010.
Anne Dean, RN, BSN, is founder of The ADA Group, a consulting firm based in DeLand, Fla., specializing in ambulatory surgical development and regulatory compliance for ASC state licensure, Medicare certification and ASC accreditation.
Steve Bowman, MHA, MBA, is administrator for Mercy Outpatient Surgery Center in Fort Smith, Ark. Mercy Outpatient Surgery Center is a multi-specialty ASC providing procedures in orthopedics, general surgery, otolaryngology (ENT), plastics,...
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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