DOING BUSINESS
surgical technologists, make sure you review their records and see if you can accept the training they’ve already re- ceived, recommends Fitzgerald. “Look at the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) concerns, and do your own training with these students about the HIPAA and Occupa- tional Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements. This could also be included in your contract. These stu- dents have to have their immunizations up to date. Name badges should be worn while in the facility. Pictures of the stu- dents are also helpful for identification.” If the students are medical students
or residents following a physician, the patients at the ASC would have to be informed, adds Jinks. “You have to get the patients’ consent.”
ASCs that operate without formal teaching programs and have medi- cal students, residents or fellows shadowing a physician must have a policy defining the scope of care in the facility, Jinks says. “Some medi- cal students may be observers only. However, residents or fellows par- ticipating in patient care need to be fully credentialed. If there is a con- tract with the teaching institution, the credentialing process should be defined in the contract.” Sometimes physicians might not un- derstand the ASC’s credentialing pro- cess and show up with a resident with- out advance notice, says Jinks. “A part of it is educating the physicians about our processes of credentialing,” she adds. “The agreement needs to spell out
who’s responsible for keeping up with the credentials. Many times the school takes that responsibility, but you need to make sure that they communicate with the ASC as appropriate. Or you can credential the student or resident/ fellow like the rest of your staff. You gather the information, and then verify that information with the school, like a background check. If it’s a one-time thing, you could do it that way, but if it’s regular, you want a contract in place. “The main thing is that you need to maintain the integrity of your processes to keep your patients safe,” Jinks adds. “You could be in violation of HIPAA or even face a lawsuit if you have someone without credentials working for you. You don’t want to do anything to com- promise patient safety.”
ASCA 2013 offers more than 60 educational sessions on topics that will include:
• Improving Your Bottom Line • Quality Reporting • OSHA • Clinical Benchmarking • Drug Shortages
Registration opens in early November. Learn more at
www.ascassociation.org/ASCA2013 or call 703.836.5904.
ASC FOCUS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 25
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