ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) opened their doors to communities across the country yesterday to introduce people to a better way to have outpatient surgery. Through free health screenings and tours, ASCs sought to educate healthcare consumers about the safe, cost-effective and patient-friendly options open to those needing outpatient surgery.
Seventy percent of all surgeries in America are outpatient and one out of every five of these is performed in an ASC. For procedures including cataract surgery, colonoscopies and knee repairs, patients arrive on the day of their appointment, have surgery in a fully equipped operating or procedure room, and recover under the care of the nursing staff -- all without hospital admission.
"ASCs provide access to high-quality health care when patients need it," said Kathy Bryant, executive vice president for the Federated Ambulatory Surgery Association (FASA). "More people need to know they have a choice when planning surgery so these Open House Days give ASCs a chance to show that there's a better way to have outpatient surgery."
The second annual ASC Open House day, "Here When You Need Us," included ASCs in states such as Mississippi, Nevada and Ohio providing educational lectures, performing free screenings -- including eye exams and blood pressure tests -- and giving facility tours so that people can see firsthand how ASCs differ from hospitals.
In Las Vegas, Nevada, for example, the Specialty Surgery Center hosted a free healthcare open house offering consumers important patient safety information, introductions to medical professionals, facility tours and refreshments. The ASC, a multi-specialty surgery center which has been open since 2001, performs between 850 and 900 surgical procedures per month in the areas of general surgery, urology, ophthalmology, orthopedics and plastic surgery.
"People generally do not think about where to go for surgery until they actually need it," said Angela Richberg, administrator for the Specialty Surgery Center. "That's why we invited the community here today -- to help educate health care consumers so they can make better, more informed decisions before they need surgery."
The Open House campaign came at a time when many areas of the country have gone from a physician surplus to a physician shortfall. At its meeting in January, the American Medical Association expressed concern about the number of practicing physicians being able to meet current and future demands for surgical care -- particularly as the country's population ages. ASCs are stepping up to meet America's surgical needs by ensuring that patients have the access to physicians they need, when they need them and at a cost they can afford. Through increased efficiency, doctors at ASCs are able to perform more procedures and spend more office time with patients.
"The declining number of surgeons means that we must make the best use of a doctor's time -- ASCs do just that," Bryant said. "We need to lay the groundwork now for the demand we know is coming, and ASCs are an essential part of a health care system that best serves patients."
Source: Federated Ambulatory Surgery Association