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UASCA Response to JAMA study
By admin | June 15, 2010
Utah Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (UASCA) wishes to address concerns raised recently in an issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) highlighting data from a 2008 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) pilot study. Since some process lapses were identified, the Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) industry nationally and locally has engaged in a proactive education effort with centers to promote adherence to the new standards. We applaud the State of Utah for their efforts to increase CMS surveys for promotion of quality healthcare. While some ASCs had not been surveyed by Medicare for over 10 years, many others voluntarily undergo surveys through the Joint Commission and AAAHC to assure that quality patient standards are continually met or exceeded.
ASCs perform over 22 million surgeries a year across the United States. The Utah Ambulatory Surgical Center Association has worked closely with CMS (Medicare) and the State of Utah to educate ASCs on the most recent findings and requirements. Utah CMS Surveyors and Iona Thraen, Director of Patient Safety, have shared their expertise with ASCs in Utah, participating in educational events sponsored by UASCA. Ms. Thraen stated “Ambulatory Surgical Centers have recently appeared on the CMS radar screen as part of a nation-wide patient safety effort to improve healthcare associated infections. Findings from the recent pilot surveys have revealed some difficulties resulting in opportunities for improvement. Notwithstanding the CMS recent focus, ASCs in Utah have been proactive in reporting patient safety sentinel events going back to 2001 and more recently in voluntarily establishing ASC sensitive reporting measures consistent with national standards. An ASC users group was established with the Utah Department of Health Patient Safety program two years ago and this new reporting effort is a result of that relationship.”
Utah enjoys an excellent health care delivery system comprised of independent ASCs, hospitals, clinics as well as large healthcare system providers. As an integral member of the health care system, Utah ASCs have been committed to providing the highest quality patient care in the safest environment possible. ASCs have been a part of the Utah Health care delivery system since 1976. Infection Control is a high priority for ambulatory surgical centers. Some research cites ASCs noncompliance rate for appropriate hand hygiene at 19%; however, when compared across other health care settings, including hospitals, the national average non-compliance rates reported in the American Journal of Infection Control is estimated to be close to 50%. UASCA membership is proud to reveal an annual infection rate of only 0.2% for 2009. Ambulatory surgery centers improve the country’s healthcare delivery by producing excellent clinical outcomes. Utah ASCs are committed to quality, cost effective patient care, which is more important now that it has ever been.
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