FEATURE
“With our ASC, only the physi- cians in our medical practice (ENT of Atlanta) can perform cases in the center,” Smith continues. “Some of the physicians in our medical practice are pediatric-only trained doctors, and without being able to perform pediat- ric cases, those physicians would not be able to do surgery at our center.” The physicians at ENT Surgery
Center of Atlanta perform approxi- mately 1,000–1,200 adult and pedi- atric cases annually in two operating rooms (ORs). The pediatric cases that comprise about one-fifth of this total are primarily a mix of ear tubes, ad- enoidectomies, tonsillectomies and adenoidectomies, frenulectomies and removing foreign bodies from ears and noses. The ASC has identified a num-
Child Friendly, Parent Approved Managing pediatric patients in the ASC. BY ROB KURTZ
T
oys and videos in a designated children’s waiting area; free mono-
grammed stuffed bears; free popsicles and stickers; and a bubble gum-scented induction mask.
These are some of the special ame- nities prepared just for children who undergo a procedure at ENT Surgery Center of Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia. They are provided for hundreds of young patients who come to the ASC every year for procedures. With pedi- atric patients accounting for roughly 20 percent of the ASC’s annual case volume, these patients are critical to the ASC’s success, says Deborah Smith, the ASC’s administrator. ENT Surgery Center of Atlanta is not an anomaly when it comes to pro- viding pediatric care. ASCs through- out the country are treating children, some as just a part of their business, others as the basis for their business. As Smith and other administrators at ASCs that serve children report,
16 ASC FOCUS APRIL 2013
bringing pediatric cases into the ASC setting can be a rewarding and ben- eficial service for patients, their fami- lies, physicians, staff and the ASC’s community. This article looks at three successful scenarios.
ENT Surgery Center of Atlanta Pediatrics has always been a part of ENT Surgery Center of Atlanta, a phy- sician-owned, single-specialty surgery center that performs otolaryngology (ENT) and, within the specialty, facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. The decision to include pediatrics was made for a number of reasons, Smith says. “When we started the ASC in 2005 and did our pro forma on the proce- dures that would be scheduled at our center, we looked at how pediatrics would affect us. Pediatric cases are a big part of our operation. Usually, the cases are safe, quick, easy and don’t require a lot of high-cost supplies.
ber of ways to provide its young pa- tients—and their parents—with an experience that is as comfortable as possible and to make sure that these cases are handled properly and safely. “We have a pediatric-trained an-
esthesiologist here,” Smith says. “Our staff is all pediatric advanced life support (PALS) certified, and all of our equipment is catered to both adults and children. My post-anes- thesia care unit nurses are very at- tuned to the children and work really close with the parents with discharge instructions.” Efficiency is essential in an ASC
that wants to perform pediatric cases successfully, Smith says. “Children are always scheduled as the first cas- es of the day. We group them by the type of procedure and then by age. Let’s say that we are doing ear tubes. We would do all ear tubes as the first cases of the day because they’re very quick and don’t tie up the recovery room area, and those would be broken down by age, youngest patient first. Then we would do tonsils, and those cases would be broken down by age with youngest first. We bring the child into the ASC at the latest possible
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38