The Advancing Surgical Care Podcast (DELETE)

JULY 5, 2022

Pediatric Specialty Care in ASCs Today: A Conversation with Michael Powers

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice talks with Michael Powers, administrator of Children’s West Surgery Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, about pediatric surgical care in the ASC setting. This highly informative discussion takes place in Dallas, Texas, following Powers’s presentation to attendees at ASCA 2022 and covers a wide range of clinical and operational issues. Topics Powers and Prentice consider include protocols for creating a child- and family-friendly clinical environment, the most common procedures performed for young children, strategies for successfully negotiating reimbursement rates and present and future trends in pediatric outpatient surgery.

Listen Now 14 min 35 sec

JUNE 9, 2022

Present and Future Trends in Total Joint Replacement (TJR) in ASCs

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice talks with Michael Patterson, FACHE, president and chief executive officer of Mississippi Valley Health in Davenport, Iowa, and immediate past president of the ASCA Board. During their conversation, Prentice and Patterson discuss total joint replacement (TJR) procedures in ASCs today, projections for the future, the growing body of quality data for TJR procedures in ASCs, the acquisition and deployment of robotic devices in ASCs and the future potential for more inpatient-only procedures to migrate to the ASC setting.

Listen Now 13 min 18 sec

MAY 18, 2022

Preparing Your ASC for Emergency Situations: A Conversation with Mary Ryan, RN

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice talks with Mary Ryan, RN, BSN, MBA, CASC, CAIP, a senior consultant with Amblitel, about both the regulatory and practical considerations of preparing ASCs for emergency situations ranging from pandemics to natural disasters. This timely conversation took place at the ASCA 2022 Conference & Expo in Dallas, Texas, following a session about emergency preparedness Ryan presented there.

Listen Now 13 min 13 sec

MARCH 21, 2022

A Conversation with Nader Samii

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice talks with Nader Samii, chief executive officer of National Medical Billing Services (NMBS). NMBS is a longtime ASCA affiliate with a national perspective on the operation and administration of ASCs. Prentice and Samii discuss a range of ASC issues, including lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, price transparency across healthcare settings and the ASCA 2022 Conference & Expo convening in person in Dallas, Texas, April 27–30.

Listen Now 20 min 47 sec

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements for Healthcare Workers

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice is joined by ASCA Assistant Director of Government Affairs Stephen Abresch and ASCA Director of Education and Clinical Affairs Gina Throneberry for a discussion about the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ COVID-19 vaccination mandate and quality reporting rules for participating healthcare workers, including those affiliated with ASCs.

Listen Now 14 min 31 sec

JANUARY 20, 2022

Understanding the New Surprise Billing Regulations

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice talks with Kara Newbury, ASCA regulatory counsel and director of government affairs, and Alex Taira, ASCA regulatory policy and research manager, about the new surprise billing regulations that took effect at the beginning of 2022. The conversation addresses both new prohibitions on certain billing practices as well as new requirements for good faith cost estimates for certain patients. ASC administrators will want to listen to this short, informative program to learn how to stay current and compliant with this new, consequential law.

Listen Now 15 min 18 sec

NOVEMBER 17, 2021

Business Strategies for Navigating the Pandemic SPONSORED CONTENT

Charlie Leonard of ASCA’s public affairs team talks with Jocelyn Gaddie, chief executive officer, and Hannah Hagan, business development manager, of in2itive Business Solutions about a range of business strategies for ASCs navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, including staffing, coding and billing-related matters. in2itive Business Solutions is an ASCA affiliate partner and a full-service healthcare revenue cycle management and consulting firm that specializes in helping ASCs improve their coding, billing, claims processing and collections.

Listen Now 14 min 19 sec

JUNE 28, 2021

Understanding Outpatient Ear, Nose and Throat Procedures: A Conversation with Jessica Lee, MD, of the Surgery Center of Charleston

ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice talks with Jessica Lee, MD, an ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon who practices at the Surgery Center of Charleston in South Carolina. In this highly informative program, Dr. Lee discusses advances in ENT surgical techniques, postoperative pain management and her special interest in promoting and prescribing lifestyle changes and integrative approaches to common chronic ENT issues.

Listen Now 17 min 27 sec

JULY 28, 2021

Medicare’s 2022 Proposed ASC Payment Rule MEMBERS ONLY

ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice and ASCA Regulatory Counsel and Director of Government Affairs Kara Newbury come together to discuss the 2022 proposed payment rule for ASCs and hospital outpatient departments released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 19, 2021. The proposal will be finalized later this year after CMS officials review comments submitted by interested parties. Once final, the rule will set Medicare reimbursement levels for procedures and quality reporting requirements for ASCs, determine which surgical procedures ASCs can perform for Medicare beneficiaries and more, effective January 1, 2022.

JUNE 2, 2021

Outpatient Eye Surgeries: A Conversation with David George, MD

ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice sits down with David George, MD, a leading ophthalmologist and eye surgeon, for a discussion about surgical treatments for cataracts, nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), astigmatisms and glaucoma. In this highly informative program, Dr. George helps patients better understand how surgical eye treatments can improve both their vision and their health—as well as what to expect during and after these common outpatient procedures.

Listen Now 14 min 07 sec

JUNE 17, 2021

Checking In with the ASC QC: A Conversation with Kathy Wilson, Executive Director

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice sits down for a conversation with Kathy Wilson, executive director of the ASC Quality Collaboration (ASC QC), to discuss the ASC QC’s current initiatives, long-range goals and recent engagement with The Leapfrog Group’s independent quality reporting efforts.

Listen Now 15 min 46 sec

SEPTEMBER 8, 2021

A Closer Look at Hospitals Without Walls

ASCA Regulatory Counsel and Director of Government Affairs Kara Newbury joins podcast host and ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice for a discussion about the Hospitals Without Walls program, the regulatory framework put in place by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic to allow nonhospital healthcare facilities, including ASCs, to achieve a hospital status under Medicare for certain outpatient treatments and procedures. In this episode, Prentice and Newbury look back over the first year of the program’s implementation, discuss what worked and what didn’t and conclude with their outlook for this nascent CMS initiative.

Listen Now 18 min 48 sec

OCTOBER 6, 2021

Infection Prevention in ASCs

ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice talks with Cindy Young, administrator of the Surgery Center of Farmington in Farmington, Missouri, and Rebecca Craig, chief executive officer of Harmony Surgery Center in Fort Collins, Colorado, about keeping surgical patients safe from infections. Both Young and Craig are registered nurses, CASC-certified administrators and past ASCA Board members. They currently chair ASCA’s Education and Programs Committee and Quality and Patient Safety Committee, respectively. This highly informative discussion considers sterilization of the surgical room, regulatory inspections, accreditation and the importance of antibiotic therapies in fighting and remedying common infections.

Listen Now 20 min 12 sec

MARCH 3, 2021

Surveying Your Center’s Culture of Safety

ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice is joined by fellow ASCA Board member and Past ASCA President David Shapiro, MD, for a discussion about ASCA’s Culture of Safety Survey, which is now available to ASCs. Charlie Leonard of ASCA’s public affairs team moderates this timely conversation that provides ASCs with all they need to know to register for and complete this short but essential survey. [Please note: ASCs must subscribe by March 31, 2021, to participate in the 2021 survey.]

Listen Now 18 min 17 sec

MAY 21, 2021

The Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) and ASCs

ASCA public affairs team member Charlie Leonard interviews David Shapiro, MD, a past president and current Board member of ASCA, in his capacity as a member of the board of directors of the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI). FGI is widely recognized as the leading source of facility guidelines for the design, construction and remodeling of ASCs and other healthcare facilities. In this short, informative program, listeners can learn more about the role of FGI and its essential ASC-focused publications.

Listen Now 13 min 23 sec

NOVEMBER 17, 2020

2021 ASCA Annual Conference Update

ASCA public affairs team member Charlie Leonard sits down with ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice to discuss planning for the ASCA 2021 annual conference, now a virtual event.

Listen Now 14 min 45 sec

OCTOBER 5, 2020

Monitoring Patient Safety during the Pandemic

ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice and Stuart Simon, MD, medical director of United Surgical Partners International (USPI), discuss the findings of a survey of more than 700 ambulatory surgery centers conducted this past spring. The survey found essential surgical procedures conducted during the pandemic were performed safely, with virtually no heightened risk of patients contracting the virus either during or following their outpatient surgery.

Listen Now 17 min 50 sec

FEBRUARY 2, 2021

Understanding the Role of MedPAC MEMBERS ONLY

ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice is joined by ASCA Regulatory Counsel and Director of Government Affairs Kara Newbury for a discussion about MedPAC, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. Prentice and Newbury look at the role of the 17-member commission in providing advice and recommendations to Congress regarding payments to Medicare-approved providers, including ASCs.

MARCH 25, 2021

Partnering with Hospitals Today: A Discussion with Tom Blasco, MD, and Anne Cole, RN, CASC, of Surgical Directions SPONSORED CONTENT

Charlie Leonard of ASCA’s public affairs team sits down with Tom Blasco, MD, and Anne Cole, RN, CASC, of Surgical Directions, a leading ASC consultancy and ASCA affiliate, for a discussion about the challenges and advantages of ASC-hospital partnerships. This the first in a series of sponsored content podcast episodes ASCA will be offering to enable ASCA affiliates to speak directly to ASCA members about a range of essential products and services and issues of importance to the ASC community.

Listen Now 17 min 56 sec

OCTOBER 21, 2020

Staying Vigilant Through the Pandemic

ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice talks with Rebecca Craig, chief executive officer of Harmony Surgery Center, and Janie Kinsey, administrator of Surgicenter of Kansas City, about how ASCs are keeping their patients and healthcare workers safe by strictly adhering to both pre-pandemic as well as new COVID-19 infection prevention protocols.

Listen Now 13 min 32 sec

MAY 13, 2020

ASCA 2020 Virtual Conference & Expo—A Discussion with ASCA Staff Making It Happen MEMBERS ONLY

Shawn Bryant, director of meetings, Chris Schriever, director of affiliate relations and opportunities, and Katy Hurtz, associate director of marketing, discuss the ASCA 2020 Virtual Conference & Expo, happening live July 9–10 and available on demand until October 31.

DECEMBER 8, 2020

Medicare's 2021 Final ASC Payment Rule MEMBERS ONLY

ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice is joined by ASCA Regulatory Counsel and Director of Government Affairs Kara Newbury for a discussion of Medicare’s 2021 final ASC payment rule that was released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on December 2, 2020. The rule sets new reimbursement rates for ASCs in 2021, maintains all of the existing measures currently included in Medicare’s ASC Quality Reporting Program, adds a number of new surgical procedures to the ASC-payable list and more.

MARCH 18, 2021

The Evolution of Outpatient Joint Surgery: A Discussion with Anthony Romeo, MD

ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice talks about the evolution of outpatient joint surgery with Dr. Anthony Romeo, a leading orthopedic surgeon who specializes in outpatient shoulder and elbow procedures. Today, thanks to advances in anesthesia, arthroscopic surgical techniques and post-operative pain management, joint surgery is more commonly performed on an outpatient basis, allowing patients to recover more quickly and more comfortably in their own homes. During this discussion. Bill Prentice invites Dr. Romeo to draw on his knowledge and experience of caring for thousands of patients to answer some of the most common questions about outpatient joint surgery.

Listen Now 21 min 28 sec

JUNE 18, 2020

A Progress Report on Resuming Elective Surgery

On April 22, 2020, Bill Prentice, ASCA chief executive officer, and Michael Patterson, president and chief executive officer of Mississippi Valley Health in Davenport, Iowa, recorded an episode of ASCA’s Advancing Surgical Care Podcast that looked prospectively at the resumption of elective surgeries. In this episode, recorded two months later, Bill and Michael rejoin their discussion about elective surgeries and provide a detailed update on the progress, as well as the continuing challenges, occurring in outpatient surgery.

Listen Now 12 min 50 sec

AUGUST 10, 2020

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ 2021 Proposed Payment Rule

ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice is joined by ASCA Regulatory Counsel and Director of Government Affairs Kara Newbury for a discussion about the 2021 proposed Medicare payment rule released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on August 4, 2020. The proposal, which will be finalized this fall following comments by interested parties, sets Medicare reimbursement levels and quality reporting requirements for procedures performed in ASCs in the coming year.

Listen Now 20 min 50 sec

JULY 15, 2020

The Risk of Delaying Certain Elective Surgeries

On July 1, 2020, Bill Prentice, ASCA chief executive officer, sat down with Dr. Tom Deas, a leading gastroenterologist who is board certified in both internal medicine and gastroenterology, to discuss some of the risks associated with delaying even common procedures such as colonoscopies.

Tom Deas practiced medicine for 20 years in the US Air Force before retiring as colonel. Over the course of his private sector career that followed, Tom has been the medical director of several specialty care facilities, held several distinguished academic positions and was active in several national medical specialty organizations, including a term as president of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE).

Listen Now 13 min 55 sec

APRIL 23, 2020

Resuming Elective Surgery MEMBERS ONLY

Bill Prentice, ASCA chief executive officer, and Michael Patterson, president and chief executive officer of Mississippi Valley Health and ASCA Board member, provide insightful commentary on the latest guidance available to ASCs considering resuming elective surgeries and procedures. Federal and state guidelines, recommendations from professional societies and the checklist ASCA prepared to help its members reopen their facilities are discussed.

APRIL 15, 2020

ASC Federal Financial Relief for COVID-19 MEMBERS ONLY

Join ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice and ASCA Regulatory Counsel and Director of Government Affairs Kara Newbury for some brief updates to the new federal financial assistance available to ASCs.

In this 12-minute episode, Bill and Kara provide an overview of the funding programs created by the recently enacted CARES Act and other federal initiatives that are available to healthcare providers. They also discuss recent updates and guidance that ASCA has obtained from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding eligibility, applications and pending requests for additional regulatory guidance.

This short episode is the first of several that ASCA intends to produce in the days ahead to help ASCs navigate the challenges of the current COVID-19 operating environment. The podcasts will be short, informal and focused on delivering information to the ASC community.

APRIL 17, 2020

ASCs as Hospitals Without Walls MEMBERS ONLY

Join Bill Prentice, ASCA chief executive officer, and Mandy Hawkins, director of the Surgery Center of Charleston and ASCA Board member, as they discuss the Hospitals Without Walls program and the two ways ASCs can participate in this important new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services initiative.

In this 15-minute episode, Mandy discusses the application process, billing procedures, preliminary talks with commercial insurers and more—a must-listen recording for any ASC considering participating in this program.

JUNE 2, 2020

Resuming Elective Surgery Part II: Volume, Pricing and the Private Insurance Market MEMBERS ONLY

ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice and Healthcare Bluebook Co-Founder and Senior Vice President Bill Kampine discuss the outlook for resuming elective surgeries and what to expect immediately and in the future regarding case volumes, pricing and commercial insurance coverage.

JUNE 11, 2020

ASCs by the Numbers: A Discussion with Leading Researcher and Professor Elizabeth Munnich, PhD

Bill Prentice, ASCA chief executive officer, interviews Beth Munnich, a distinguished healthcare economist and professor at the University of Louisville. Professor Munnich has authored a number of important healthcare studies, including ASC-focused research, and she has been widely recognized and awarded for her academic achievements and publications.

Listen Now 15 min 03 sec

MAY 6, 2020

Staying Compliant with the Paycheck Protection Program MEMBERS ONLY

ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice is joined by John Goehle of Ambulatory Healthcare Strategies for a discussion about the responsibilities of ASCs enrolled in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).