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ASCs in the news: Outpatient center surgeries increase in California's Bay area

Ambulatory Surgery Reimbursement Update, December 16, 2008

Although elective surgeries at hospitals are down in the south Bay area, procedures at outpatient centers continue to increase, the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal reported November 21.

The Business Journal quoted spokespersons for three area hospitals confirming the decline in elective surgery, but noting that a variety of factors contributed to the decrease. Leslie Kelsay, spokesperson for Good Samaritan Hospital and its affiliate, Regional Medical Center of San Jose, CA, told the newspaper that trends including increased employee healthcare costs and a reported drop-off in office visits have contributed to the decrease in elective surgery.

According to the Business Journal, George Block, MD, Chief Medical Officer for O’Connor Hospital of San Jose attributed that hospital’s 5% drop in elective surgery to outpatient surgery centers. According to Block, ASCs are doing many newly-developed orthopedic procedures that lend themselves to the outpatient environment.

At the Los Gatos Surgical Center, Los Gatos,CA, procedures such as hernia repair or knee replacement are up 15% from last year, administrator Jerry Wilson said in the article. The surgical center had 165 surgeries slated for December before the month began, he added. Wilson told the newspaper that cosmetic surgery procedures are down, reflecting a nationwide trend.

To read the complete article, click here.