TASCS + ASCA: Advocating For High-Quality, Cost-Effective Healthcare In Texas

National Advocacy Day helps build relationships with policymakers who make decisions that directly impact ambulatory surgery centers – facilities that provide same-day surgical care.

national advocacy day

This week, Texas Ambulatory Surgery Center Society (TASCS) Board Members Akshay Tavkar of Kelsey-Seybold Clinic and Kayla Schneeweiss-Keene of Mann Cataract Surgery Center, Executive Director Krista DuRapau, and honorary Texan Amanda Penrod of RFX Solutions participated in the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association’s (ASCA) National Advocacy Day.

“ASCA organized another great event," DuRapau said. "It has been several years since we have been able to do this, and we were all excited to get back to D.C. and advocate for the ASC industry. ASCA set up all of our appointments, kept us updated on the ASCA app, and made sure we were fully briefed on the Outpatient Surgery Quality and Access Act of 2023 that was recently reintroduced."

The group had meetings with Senator John Cornyn, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, and Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher. “Each office we met with was extremely interested in learning more about how ASCs save patients and the healthcare system money,” shared Schneeweiss-Keene. Tavkar echoed these thoughts, saying, “It was exciting to explain how our surgery centers operate, provide care, and impact communities. We even had several offices interested in touring our facilities."

tascs advocating for ascs in dc

Penrod expressed that it got her even more amped up about the TASCS conference and Capitol Day next week. "I feel like we make a huge impact when we sit down with legislative offices and explain the benefits of ambulatory care. People are always surprised by the number of ASCs in Texas, the number of cases performed each year, and the efficiency of the high-quality, low-cost care."

As stated by DuRapau, it's always a thrill to connect with this national organization, seeing advocacy happen at every level for ambulatory surgery centers. "We were happy to be in D.C. with them this week, and we are delighted to have ASCA CEO Bill Prentice with us next week in Texas!"

Advocacy Day gave the perfect momentum for Capitol Day on March 8, when TASCS gets to talk to its own legislators about Texas-specific bills and how ASCs play a major role in the state's healthcare. Register here to join us!

texas capitol day

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