TASCS is hosting its annual conference in August, in order to help educate and inspire members of the ambulatory surgery industry.

The Texas Ambulatory Surgery Center Society (TASCS) has spent over 10 years bringing healthcare professionals together, providing them with educational information, networking opportunities, and updates on ambulatory surgery center (ASC) developments. This year, attendees can pack their favorite Hawaiian shirts for the TASCS annual conference, taking place at Margaritaville Lake Resort in Lake Conroe from August 22 to 24.

The conference will feature several opportunities for continuing education credits for AEUs, ICPs, and CNEs, as well as offer panels over accreditation, healthcare policies, leadership in surgery centers, and more.

This tropical-inspired getaway will serve as the backdrop for the only event dedicated to ASCs in Texas. Before, after, and throughout the conference, attendees can enjoy the sights and spots offered up by Montgomery, Houston, and beyond.

Every year, the Texas Ambulatory Surgery Center Society (TASCS) gathers the ambulatory care industry together at its annual conference, and this year, the education, networking, learning, and marketing opportunities will take place at Margaritaville Lake Resort, Lake Conroe | Houston.

This summer, TASCS will be visiting ambulatory surgery centers throughout the great state of Texas. The goal is to learn even more about these facilities, including the procedures that are performed there and the healthcare professionals who work there. By shining an even brighter spotlight on ASCs, TASCS continues to spread awareness about the benefits of this booming industry. 

The first stop on the TASCS Summer Road Trip Series was North Pines Surgery Center in Conroe, Texas. Here, TASCS Executive Director Krista DuRapau and Membership & Events Manager Jennifer Schlabach met with Tammy Stanfield, the facility’s administrator and a TASCS member.

OnHand’s president explained supply chain disruptions since the pandemic and how healthcare systems can adapt in the future to help combat this problem.

When COVID-19 began to run rampant in 2020, the healthcare system struggled to handle the pandemic’s force. “I joke with people often that a couple years ago, before the pandemic, not many people thought much about supply chain, and now, it’s all anybody can think about,” said Nate Mickish, president of OnHand and vice president of Texas Health Resources. From nurses to masks, everything was in shortage, and vendors and providers alike were scrambling to offer healthcare workers everything they needed to stay safe on the job.

“We may have missed savings goals, we have not gotten all the contracts implemented that we want, but we kept people safe.” Mickish said. “That was the most important metric we could have met in 2020.”

Texas Health Care Information Collection explains how to report data and offers resources that allow ASCs to submit the most accurate information.

The Texas Health Care Information Collection (THCIC) collects data and reports on healthcare activities, in order to provide patients with information about the cost and quality of healthcare in Texas. All ambulatory surgery centers in the state are required to report data related to revenue, services, and procedures. Tiffany Overton, training specialist for THCIC, went over the schedule for data reporting with TASCS members, as well as the significance of submitting timely and accurate information.

Clinical training sites offer an array of benefits for students and ambulatory surgery centers: Aspiring healthcare workers earn needed hours and experience, while ASCs help build up the industry, which, in turn, provides even more high-quality care to patients in Texas. 

The benefits of being active online include driving more traffic to your website, building up trust, staying current on industry news, and so much more.

LinkedIn got its official start in 2003, Facebook has been around since 2004, Twitter launched in 2006, and Instagram came about in 2010. Since then, the world has not been the same, as we are more engaged and connected than ever before.

Some turn to these sites to share life updates or to stay in touch with friends and family across the world, while businesses and associations can be enhanced through social media. In fact, there is NO reason a brand SHOULDN’T be on at least one of these platforms.

DisinfectWell CEO and Integrated Viral Protection COO provided infection prevention steps and tools ASCs can utilize.

As the pandemic continues to fluctuate, infection prevention remains at the top of the list in the healthcare industry, and DisinfectWell CEO Rodrigo Zurita spoke to TASCS members on this topic, focusing on surgery centers.

Adam Hornback, the Texas Ambulatory Surgery Center Society’s treasurer, attended The ASC Nurse Leadership Conference, where he picked up some useful tips and tricks during the educational and engaging event.

Last month, Progressive Surgical Solutions hosted The ASC Nurse Leadership Conference in Dallas, Texas. TASCS treasurer, Adam Hornback, attended the conference, which worked to bring three critical elements together: ambulatory surgery centers, nurses, and leadership. “At Progressive, we understand that ASC nurse leaders play a vital role in the overall success of your organization,” the brand’s website states. Therefore, the event helps nurses grow and improve processes, as well as maintain compliance and better support teams during these uncertain times.

The Vice President of Connected Care at HST Pathways explains the No Surprises Act and best practices to help surgery centers stay compliant.

On January 1, 2022, the No Surprises Act (NSA) took effect across the nation after bipartisan approval from Congress in December 2020. This new law establishes several requirements to enhance patient rights and eliminate surprise healthcare billing.

Through the NSA, surgery centers are considered “convening providers,” which means someone must coordinate how to obtain the cost for all providers working on a patient and show that estimate to the patient. 

OnHand President Nate Mickish explains the growth of OnHand and its compatibility with surgery centers in the evolving ASC market.

Nate Mickish has been with Texas Health Resources (THR) since 2013, and he started out building up supply chain management of non-acute care sites. As the program grew to over 300 facilities, Mickish and his team realized they could expand their work to help benefit even more centers. Thus, OnHand, one of THR’s joint ventures, was born in 2016, with a goal of offering supply chain solutions to lower costs, increase efficiency and strengthen clients’ revenues.

Texas Health and Human Services explains how to meet the requirements of SB 809, so ASCs can properly report on emergency health funds procured during the pandemic.

During the 87th Texas legislative session, Senate Bill 809 passed, which requires several healthcare institutions to report emergency funds for COVID-19, as well as how much has been spent related to the public health emergency. Texas Health and Human Services’ senior financial analyst for hospital finance, Tori Ponson, and the organization’s senior financial analyst for acute care, Mohib Nawab, went over this new bill and its requirements with TASCS members.

Ambulatory surgery centers are urged to focus on standardization and reducing risks, in order to help increase the level of high-quality, cost-effective care.

The Joint Commission, which accredits and certifies over 2,200 healthcare organizations, has been around for 70 years. For the past 47 years, though, it has specifically been serving ambulatory surgery centers. Recently, Valerie Henry, the commission’s business development manager of ambulatory care services, spoke with TASCS members on the “commitment to meeting certain performance standards.”

This spring, Mann Cataract Surgery Center will start providing ophthalmology services to patients. The new facility will also offer up a welcoming, versatile, safe, and exciting environment for all who visit this Houston location.

When it comes to designing and opening up a new surgery center, a brand must think about accessibility, layouts, aesthetics, and function. There are certain materials to consider and guidelines to follow long before staff members can begin serving patients.

Missy Danforth of The Leapfrog Group explains the importance of quality measurement in ASCs.

In 2019, The Leapfrog Group launched an ambulatory surgery center survey, as well as a new section to its hospital survey over outpatient procedures. Missy Danforth, vice president of healthcare ratings, stressed the importance of using these quality measurement surveys. “We want to trigger giant leaps forward in the safety, quality and affordability of healthcare, specifically by using transparency to support informed decision making and value-based purchasing,” she said.

SCA offers a holistic approach to support physicians, patients and teammates.

Senior Division VP of Operations Trenton Mattison talks about AMSURG’s community-driven platform and new services the company is providing to the healthcare industry.

TASCS welcomes our new President, Dallas Freyer, RN, CASCS; Vice President, Maggie Jeffries, MD; and Treasurer, Adam Hornback, RN. 

Infection preventionist and medication safety experts spoke with TASCS members about the dangers of negligent injection practices and tips for safe injection practices.

Safe injection practices are a significant part of keeping patients safe, as they help prevent the spread of diseases, miscommunication in drug doses and the contamination of medications. “The primary objective in injection safety is preventing transmission of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency viruses,” Maggie Miller, an infection preventionist with ECRI, told Texas Ambulatory Surgery Center Society (TASCS) members during a recent virtual town hall. She also spoke to the more general significance and procedural standards for injection safety.

Cosentus associates talk about financial and technological changes that will begin in the new calendar year and how they will affect surgery centers.