Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) Celebrates National Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Month of August
Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) News
Alexandria, VA —The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) is proud to celebrate National ASC Month. Throughout August, ASCA and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) across the nation will highlight the high-quality, cost-effective surgical care that ASCs provide to their patients and communities.
Since the opening of the first ASC in Phoenix, Arizona, in February 1970, the industry has grown to encompass 6,500 Medicare-certified facilities performing more than 23 million outpatient procedures annually. ASCs perform roughly 80 percent of all Medicare cataract removals and 50 percent of Medicare colonoscopies each year.
“This month we recognize the vital role that surgery centers play in our country’s healthcare and encourage our community to join us in advocacy and education,” said ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice. “By expanding the public’s understanding of the safe, convenient and lower-cost services available at ASCs, we can ensure that more patients have access to the care they need.”
“ASCA supports Medicare’s proposed expansion of cardiovascular procedures allowed in the ASC setting,” he continued. “However, we were disappointed that CMS failed to add all the procedures requested by ASCA, the Heart Rhythm Society and the American College of Cardiology. We have consistently advocated for the clinical judgment of the medical community to be the proper determinant of where patients should receive care. We will continue advocating to CMS to trust the physicians’ judgment on the best site of service.”
ASCA has posted a National ASC Month Toolkit and encourages everybody to get involved in advocacy and promotion. Posted resources include custom logos, social media graphics and template letters encouraging lawmakers to support the currently introduced Medicare Beneficiary Co-Pay Fairness Act.
To learn more about National ASC Month, visit https://www.ascassociation.org/asca/education-and-events/national-asc-month. To see a timeline history of ASCs compiled as part of the 50 Years of ASCs celebration, visit https://www.ascassociation.org/50yearsofascs/timeline.
The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) is the national association representing ambulatory surgery centers of every specialty and provides advocacy and resources to assist ASCs in delivering high-quality, cost-effective care to the patients they serve.
