POSTPONED- Capitol Day

Capitol Day has been postponed to allow centers to recover from the impacts of the Winter Storm Uri. Because each center has been impacted in some way, we appreciate your input on when a new advocacy day would be convenient for your participation.

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Legislative Recap WE 2/20/21

Gavel to Gavel

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POSTPONED-Infection Control Week!

NEW DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!

 We apologize for any inconvenience but we are rescheduling next week's event due to the inclement weather and power shortages that our ASCs have experienced this week.

A future date is TBD and will be announced when available. 

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Legislative Recap WE 2/12/21

 

 

 

 

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Controlled Medication Logs in Ambulatory Surgery Centers

In order to provide members with information and education, even in the midst of a pandemic, the Texas Ambulatory Surgery Center Society (TASCS) has been holding virtual town halls. The latest one took place on Jan. 28 and was about controlled medication logs in ambulatory surgery centers.

It was a focused, brief, yet very informative symposium from two of Texas’ top experts on the topic, Diane Buffington of Surgical Care Affiliates and Chris Dembny of Dembny Pharmacy Consultants LLC.

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Legislative Recap WE 2/5/21

 

 

 
 

 

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Welcome Dr. Mehta to PSA ASC

Pain Specialists of America appoints chief medical officer

Austin, Texas-based Pain Specialists of America named Pankaj Mehta, MD, as its chief medical officer, according to a Feb. 2 news release.

Dr. Mehta is a board-certified anesthesiologist who gained national recognition for his contributions to interventional pain medicine, the release said. He is a leader in pain management with a focus on spine pain, headaches, spinal stenosis, abdominal and pelvic pain. He trained at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, both in Boston, before completing a fellowship at Cleveland Clinic.

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Laredo Digestive Health Center Receives APEX Quality Award

5 Physicians Endoscopy Partner Centers Receive APEX Quality Award

 

JAMISON, Pa.Feb. 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Five Physicians Endoscopy partner ambulatory surgery centers have received the 2020 National APEX Quality Award. The Endoscopy Center of Niagara, Laredo Digestive Health Center, Long Island Center for Digestive Health, PGC Center for Excellence, and South Broward Endoscopy Center were recognized as the highest performing healthcare facilities within their healthcare peer grouping. Awarded annually by SPH Analytics, recipients of the APEX Quality Award are determined solely by patient satisfaction measures. APEX, traditionally meaning highest point, is defined by SPH Analytics as "Attributes for Patient Excellence".

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Smith+Nephew, Hall of Fame Health to partner on former NFL players’ wellness

Smith+Nephew, Hall of Fame Health to partner on former NFL players’ wellness

American football sports medicine orthopedics Smith+Nephew

[Photo by Dave Adamson on Unsplash]

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Legislative Recap WE 1/29/21

Gov. Greg Abbott announced this week that he will give the 2021 “State of the State” address on Monday, February 1, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. CT. This address will include an update on Texas’ response to COVID-19, commendations of exceptional Texans, and the Governor’s priorities for the 87th Legislature—setting up the possibility of a handful of emergency items for  the Legislature to consider immediately.
 
Senate Redistricting Committee hearings got underway this week, facing all the same challenges as the rest of the legislative process. Usually conducted during the interim and all throughout the state, these meetings will be held in Austin and the witnesses will testify via two-way videoconferencing. While Committee members were already flying blind without 2020 census data, this week delivered a further blow to their efforts when the U.S. Census Bureau announced that updated population estimates will likely not be available until the end of July. Though hardly a surprise, this does almost guarantee that the Legislature will have to reconvene for a special session.
 
House Speaker Dade Phelan indicated that we can look for House Committee Assignments next week, meaning that legislative deliberations over the House and Senate base budget bills can begin in earnest. It is expected that we will see Appropriations Committee meetings align with those of the Senate Finance Committee, which is scheduled to have its first hearing February 8th.
 
Also in the House, the five-man special election for House District 68 yielded a runoff between Republicans Craig Carter (18.07%) and David Spiller (43.88%). A date for the run-off has not yet been set. HD68 was formerly held by now-Sen. Drew Springer.
 
Over the weekend the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) announced that the state would receive 332,750 first doses of COVID-19 vaccine for the seventh week of vaccine distribution. Those doses were shipped to 212 providers across the state, including 82 large hub providers. The state is ordering 216,350 second doses for individuals that received their first dose a few weeks ago.
Texas Headlines
After 32 years at the agency, Texas Department of Transportation Executive Director James Bass set to retire in May
 

Governor Abbott Executive Order Relating to protection of Texas's energy industry from federal overreach.
 

With a stalled court system, some Texas jails are dangerously overcrowded in the pandemic

 
Texas surpasses 2 million confirmed COVID-19 cases
 

Without census numbers, Texas Senate digs into redistricting with a look at West Texas
 

Census delays will force Texas lawmakers into a special session to redraw political maps
 

Texas rolls out mobile COVID-19 vaccination clinics, starting in rural counties
 

Point of Order: Funding Texas schools during a pandemic
 

Food banks urge lawmakers to stop funding cuts to program assisting hungry Texans
 

TribCast: How Joe Biden's immigration orders are playing out in Texas
 

Gov. Greg Abbott pushes Legislature to protect businesses from coronavirus-related lawsuits
Countdown to Sine Die
motionmailapp.com
 
 
 
What to Expect Next Week
View this document for scheduled legislative meetings. 
Priority Bill Tracking Report
Please click HERE to review bills tracked through January 29, 2021.
Relevant State & Federal COVID-19 Updates from the Week
Please click HERE to read the COVID-19 Updates from the week. 
 

DEA Compliance Update

SUMMARY: The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is amending its regulations to implement a new single-sheet format for DEA Form 222, used by DEA registrants to order schedules I and II controlled substances. The rule provides for a two-year transition period, during which the existing triplicate version of the forms may continue to be used. The rule also includes a number of minor procedural changes.

https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/fed_regs/rules/2019/fr0930.htm

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Poll of the Week- Dispensing Machine

We have our poll of the week up to see how many centers are currently utilizing an automated dispensing machine. Please take a second to answer this one question anonymous poll:

Take the poll

If you have any questions or want to share comments or experiences with the automated dispensing machines, please share here with the community.

Membership Monday

Kim Russell is the chief executive officer of Westlake Hills Surgery Center. She is also an athlete, a four-times world champion gold medalist in racquetball, an animal rescuer, a mother of two girls and a leader in the industry. 

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Virtual Town Hall this Thursday!

 

Join us this Thursday for our next topic in our Town Hall series

Controlled Medication Logs in the ASC 

Collaborate with these two speakers to discuss this important topic on the 28th.  

 

This is a members-only benefit and you must register to get access. 

To sign up for a membership, please fill out our application. 

GL 20-2020-A Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Services and Reporting Requirements in Response to COVID-19 Amended

GL 20-2020-A Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Services and Reporting Requirements in Response to COVID-19 Amended

GL 20-2020-A, regarding the extension of emergency rule amendments related to ambulatory surgical center (ASC) services and reporting requirements in response to COVID-19, has been posted. Effective January 21, 2021, the emergency rule amendments are extended for 60 days and temporarily permit licensed ASCs to do the following:

  • expand treatment options to include other health care services, not surgical services alone;
  • allow for patient stays longer than 23 hours; and
  • not report longer patient stays and hospital transfers.

Please read the letter and if you have questions, contact [email protected].

Legislative Recap WE 1/22/21

From our TASCS Lobbyist


The highlight of this week was the House and Senate releasing their base budgets for the 2022-2023 biennium. Both chambers proposed General Revenue expenditures of $119.7 billion, staying under the Legislative Budget Board’s 7.06 percent spending limit. Senate Finance Committee Chair Jane Nelson referenced the “many tools available to balance this budget, which will require us to re-establish our priorities, stretch every dollar and find more efficient ways to deliver services.” The budgets are notably similar, prioritizing teacher’s retirement funding and the investments in public education that were made last session, providing funding for Medicaid caseload growth, and increasing funding for mental health initiatives. Budget hearings are predicted to begin in February. 
 
Both chambers will convene on January 26th, and the House will convene again on the 27th, before adjourning until the following Tuesday, February 2nd.  Remember also that the race to replace former Rep. Drew Springer in House District 68 will be Saturday, January 23rd. We will send out a report as soon as the results are in.
 
On Thursday, President Joe Biden’s Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci discussed new COVID-19 variants found in South Africa and Brazil. Early evidence suggests that the new variants show greater resistance to the body’s immune response than the dominant strain, and could potentially slightly decrease the effectiveness of the vaccine.  He underscored the importance of widespread mask-wearing and immunization.
 
President Biden also released the new administration’s National Strategy for The COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness. The document outlines a strategy to mitigate the spread of the virus through expanded mask-wearing, testing, and public health guidance; utilize the Defense Production Act to increase production of vaccination and testing supplies; advance health equity for racial and ethnic groups disproportionately affected by the virus; and increase protections for workers while reopening schools and businesses. This strategy was accompanied by multiple COVID-19-specific executive orders.
 
This week, the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) received 333,650 first doses of COVID-19. DSHS requested that those doses be shipped to 260 providers across the state, including 77 large hub providers.
Texas Headlines
Toxic substance or water supply? Lawmakers to weigh whether wastewater from oil fields could replenish the state's aquifers
 

Success in scramble to succeed Sen. Springer in the Texas House could rely on shifting population
 

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Statement on the Texas Senate Budget
 

TribCast: What the new Biden administration means for Texas
 

Texas employers applaud bills to prevent surprise taxes on PPP loans
 

Health officials issue dire warning as Texas sees its worst COVID-19 outbreak
 

Watch: New Texas senators discuss plans to address COVID-19’s impact on health, businesses
 

Reversing Donald Trump policy, Joe Biden will include undocumented immigrants in critical census count
 

Pandemic drives worst annual job losses on record for Texas
 

Texas has a problem with its COVID-19 vaccination data, and the stakes are high. Now the state is scrambling to solve it.
 

Dan Patrick asks Texas to revise coronavirus vaccine distribution plan as eligible people experience frustration trying to locate a dose
What to Expect Next Week
View this document for scheduled legislative meetings. 
Priority Bill Tracking Report
Please click HERE to review bills tracked through January 22, 2021.
Relevant State & Federal COVID-19 Updates from the Week
Please click HERE to read the COVID-19 Updates from the week. 

Texas announces COVID-19 vaccine allocation for week of Jan. 25

Texas announces COVID-19 vaccine allocation for week of Jan. 25

The state of Texas will receive 332,750 first doses of COVID-19 vaccine from the federal government next week. The Texas Department of State Health Services has instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ship those doses to 212 providers across Texas. That includes 82 hub providers that will focus on larger community vaccination efforts and 130 additional providers as Texas continues to vaccinate health care workers, residents of long-term care facilities, people 65 and older and those with medical conditions that put them at greater risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19.

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Weekly Membership Poll

Are you asking patients if they have had the COVID-19 vaccine?

Let us know! We appreciate your participation in our membership polls. Answer this quick question below. 

https://www.texasascsociety.org/are-you-asking-patients-if-they-have-had-the-covid-19-vaccine

Legislative Recap WE 1/16/21

From our TASCS Lobbyist

Opening week of the 87thLegislative Session started with better-than-expected news from the Comptroller of Public Accounts. While previous estimates warned of a $4.6 billion deficit, revised estimates place that closer to $1 billion. Additionally, we are entering the session with $112.5 billion available for general-purpose spending during the 2022-23 biennium, just 4% shy of the funds available for the previous session. This is a relief for budget-writers as they try to craft a balanced budget.
 
On Tuesday, the Texas House and Senate gaveled in the 87thTexas Legislature. Rep. Dade Phelan was sworn in as the Speaker of the House of Representatives while Sen. Brian Birdwell was elected President Pro Tempore of the Texas Senate. Both chambers are now adjourned until January 26th, but the rules of procedure were passed before their departure. The most significant change to the Senate rules was a measure lowering the threshold of votes required to bring a bill to the floor to 18 votes, or a three-fifths majority.  Not coincidentally, there are 18 Republicans in the Texas Senate.
 
In the House, the most controversial alteration to the rules was removed almost as quickly as it was introduced. The “Consensus Calendar” was intended to address the time-constraints of the 87thSession and would be charged with bills which, “…in the opinion of the Committee on Calendars, could be considered expeditiously with limited debate.” This provision would include restricted time for speeches and disincentives to introducing amendments during second reading. It was struck from the rules on Thursday with an amendment introduced by Rep. Todd Hunter.
 
Both sets of rules contain amendments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The House rules relax the restrictions around emergency adjournment, require face coverings, and expand the information required in hearing notices to ensure access for constituents, but do not allow for virtual testimony. The Senate rules do not directly allude to the pandemic, but consolidate and streamline operations by removing the Committees on Agriculture and Property Tax, adding the Committee on Jurisprudence, and renaming the Committee on Intergovernmental Relations as the Committee on Local Government and the Committee on Water and Rural Affairs as the Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs. The rules also restrict media presence to a designated press area, rather than the whole floor.
 
The rules for both chambers also address redistricting, which will likely take place in a special session as the latest Census numbers are not expected until April. While neither set of rules specifically addresses COVID-19, the Senate rules allow for videoconferencing during regional hearings if a) those meetings are held the capitol and the witness is not in the same physical location, b) the witness is clearly visible and audible, and c) they submit a witness affirmation form prior to testifying.
 
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick released committee assignments which can be found here.  House Committee preference requests from members are due on January 22nd. We will send out a release as soon as committee assignments are posted.  
 
Late last week, the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) released the COVID-19 vaccination hub provider locations. Twenty-eight large providers will receive 158,825 doses of vaccine, allocated according to the number of people each provider estimated it could vaccinate in a week. DSHS and the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) have released an updated provider map displaying first and second dose availability from providers around the state.













 

Texas Headlines

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2021 Payment Rules Affecting Pharmacy

2021 Payment Rules Affecting Pharmacy

As we move into the new outpatient/ambulatory payment year still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, navigating payment rules across sites of care and ensuring that pharmacy is in sync with their organization’s overall strategies are essential. Themes finalized in the rule sets are: embrace patient centricity, continue to simplify (electronic health record requirements and reporting, regulations), cut costs and save money, and not lose focus on pharmacy’s efforts to combat the opioid crisis.

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2021 OPPS Effects

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