| Senators Urge CMS to Ease Up on EHR "Meaningful Use" Criteria |
| In a letter to the agency, lawmakers ask for "practical, incremental approach." |
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| Published: March 31, 2010 |
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| OR Fire Erupts Into Legal Battle |
| Lawsuit says electrosurgical device ignited wet surgical prep. |
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| Published: March 31, 2010 |
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| Surgeons Say Medicare Payments Cuts Would Limit Access to Care |
| Survey shows only 31% of physicians would continue to participate in Medicare if 22% rate cut is in enacted. |
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| Published: March 30, 2010 |
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| Study Shows Data Theft Grows Along With EMR Adoption |
| Providers "aren't up to the task" of protecting patient information, according to research firm. |
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| Published: March 29, 2010 |
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| Georgia ASCs Spared 1.45% 'Bed Tax' |
| Physician-owned and joint ventured surgery centers exempted. |
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| Published: March 26, 2010 |
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| Government Inspections Find Infection Control Practices 'Suboptimal' at ASCs |
| Two-thirds of surgery centers surveyed were cited for at least 1 lapse. |
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| Published: March 26, 2010 |
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| Georgia Hospitals and ASCs Bracing for 1.45% 'Bed Tax' |
| State plans to raise more than $175 million through a new tax on hospital and ASC patient revenues. |
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| Published: March 25, 2010 |
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| Is There a Rising Tide of Bowel Prep Lawsuits? |
| Patients who suffered kidney damage before a black box warning are suing OsmoPrep. |
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| Published: March 25, 2010 |
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| Nude Before-and-After Photos Spur Lawsuit |
| Cosmetic surgery patient sues surgeon and unknown third party over privacy breach. |
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| Published: March 24, 2010 |
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| Healthcare Reform Bill Puts Physician-Owned Hospitals in Peril |
| Provisions inhibiting the industry's growth could impact nearly 300 new and existing facilities. |
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| Published: March 24, 2010 |
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| Accountant Bilks Ambulatory Surgery Foundation Out of $373K |
| She's serving 57 months in federal prison for forging 59 checks over a 16-month period. |
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| Published: March 23, 2010 |
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| NYU Docs: MRSA Screening and Decolonization Is Worth the Cost |
| Program to screen and treat all surgical patients costs $115 per patient compared $60,000 or more per infection. |
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| Published: March 23, 2010 |
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| Healthcare Reform Passes: Now What? |
| Experts say bill presents both "opportunity and risk" for ambulatory surgery industry. |
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| Published: March 22, 2010 |
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| Texas Supreme Court Upholds Malpractice Reform Law |
| Two rulings define time limits for medical-mal suits. |
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| Published: March 19, 2010 |
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| Auto Insurer Claims Chicago Pain Docs Marked Up Fees |
| Allstate says 2 companies bilked it out of $1 million in claims. |
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| Published: March 17, 2010 |
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| Inspectors Find Improperly Cleaned Equipment at Puerto Rico VA Clinics |
| Report comes 1 year after thousands were warned of potential contamination from VA clinics in the U.S. |
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| Published: March 17, 2010 |
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| AORN: Do Not Launder Scrubs at Home |
| Organization takes firm stance against home laundering in response to new evidence of infection risk. |
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| Published: March 16, 2010 |
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| Did Outsourcing Co. Misrepresent Itself as ASC to Insurer? |
| UnitedHealthcare demanding surgical services provider repay $2M |
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| Published: March 15, 2010 |
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| FDA Warning: Fake Surgical Mesh |
| Agency investigating surgical supply counterfeiting. |
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| Published: March 12, 2010 |
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| Pa. Hospital Threatens to Pink Slip Hand Hygiene Offenders |
| Spies and a 3-strikes-and-you're-out policy have boosted compliance. |
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| Published: March 11, 2010 |
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| ACG President Chides Obama's Virtual Colonoscopy |
| Questions persist about the cancer screening method. |
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| Published: March 11, 2010 |
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| ASC Association President Kathy Bryant Steps Down |
| A replacement for the longtime lobbyist has yet to be named. |
|
| Published: March 9, 2010 |
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| How Confidential Is Your Accreditation Survey? |
| Under court order, Joint Commission releases site visit info to federal investigators. |
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| Published: March 9, 2010 |
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| Making the Best of a Robotic Breakdown |
| Survey shows 3 in 10 surgeons don't discuss contingency plans with patients before robotic surgery. |
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| Published: March 9, 2010 |
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| Ambulatory Surgery Center Advocacy Committee Launches Campaign |
| Reinforces industry commitment to high-quality, patient-centered care. |
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| Published: March 8, 2010 |
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| To See or Not to See During Laparoscopy |
| Malpractice lawsuit claims surgeon erred using blind laparoscopic technique. |
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| Published: March 8, 2010 |
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| She Said, He Said in Texas Pain Clinic Sexual Harassment Suit |
| Receptionist alleges anesthesiologist groped her at a holiday party. |
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| Published: March 8, 2010 |
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| Propofol and Other Anesthetics Remain in Short Supply |
| The FDA and manufacturers are struggling to keep up with demand as production problems persist. |
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| Published: March 5, 2010 |
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| Hurricane Katrina Sinks New Orleans Orthopedic Surgeon |
| Doctor submitted fraudulent workers' comp claims for work when his office wasn't open after the August 2005 storm. |
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| Published: March 4, 2010 |
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| Proposed Colorado Bill Targets Surgical Techs |
| State lawmakers want to increase patient safety protections and disciplinary actions for repeat offenders. |
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| Published: March 4, 2010 |
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| MedPAC Recommends 0.6% Increase in ASC Payment Rates |
| Panel also suggests ASCs start reporting cost and quality data to CMS. |
|
| Published: March 4, 2010 |
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| ASC Reimbursement Down in Massachusetts |
| Analysts cite costlier hospital outpatient procedures for rising healthcare costs. |
|
| Published: March 3, 2010 |
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| FDA Warns Manufacturers of Endoscopes Labeled for Reprocessing by SS1 |
| Agency says scopes may be misbranded because Steris System 1 is "not a legally marketed device." |
|
| Published: March 1, 2010 |
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| Woodrum/ASD Sues Former Clients in Indiana |
| Courts will decide who's entitled to sale proceeds and management fees. |
|
| Published: March 1, 2010 |
