ADVOCACY SPOTLIGHT
ASCA Members Celebrate National ASC Day Advocate for your ASC by inviting your members of Congress to your center BY BLAKE MCDONALD
ASCs across the country celebrated National ASC Day on August 19 by holding open houses and facility tours for members of Congress, state leg- islators, local officials and members of the press. They invited their com- munity members and public officials inside their centers and explained why more patients and doctors are choosing these medical facilities for their health care needs. Jeffrey Liegner, MD, hosted US
Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) on August 13 at the Eye Care Northwest ASC in Sparta, New Jersey, and discussed current federal legisla- tion affecting his center. “The congress- man reflected favorably regarding the Ambulatory Surgery Center Quality & Access Act of 2015 and indicated a good understanding of the challenges facing ASCs with federal and state regulations, Medicare reimbursements and hospital outpatient department (HOPD) dispar- ity, and patient access under stronger Medicare Access plans.” Like Eye Care Northwest, Chu
Vision Institute in Bloomington, Min- nesota, celebrated National ASC Day by hosting an open house with the goal of raising awareness of ASCs and the critical role they play in reduc- ing health care spending. The notable guests included US Congressman Erik Paulsen (R-MN), state Senator Melissa Halvorson Wiklund, Bloomington Mayor Gene Winstead, Bloomington Chamber of Commerce President Mau- reen Scallen Failor, Minnesota Ambula- tory Surgery Center Association Execu- tive Director Thomas Poul and ASCA Chief Operating Officer Steve Miller. Y. Ralph Chu, MD, led a tour of the facility and shared how the center offers high-quality procedures in a patient- friendly environment.
“It was an excellent open house,”
Poul said. “I was truly impressed with their operation as well as the turnout from federal, state and local officials.” ASCA works with centers and leaders like Liegner to connect them with their members of Congress and provides background information on the legislation that those elected officials can enact for the benefit of ASCs. According to the Congressio- nal Management Foundation, 98 per- cent of Congressional staff reported that attending events in their district or state was very or somewhat important to understanding constituents’ issues. While ASCA and its grassroots
organizers work to advocate for legis- lation through facility tours, National ASC Day gives all centers across the country the opportunity to open their doors to the public. Sometimes state associations also work with centers to set up open houses so that people in the community can meet the physi-
cians and staff and learn more about the care that the centers provide. Challenges to the US health care system are mounting at the state and federal levels. Events like facility tours with members of Congress and open houses for the public show that the ASC care model is part of the solution: sav- ing patients and the health care system money while providing high-quality care in a patient-friendly environment. National ASC Day 2015 day was a success. Dozens of ASCs partici- pated and spread the word within their communities about the many benefits that ASCs provide. Now, the key is to build on those connections and for more ASCs to open their doors year- round. To find out more about hosting your elected officials or members of the public in your center, please write
bmcdonald@ascassociation.org.
Blake McDonald is ASCA’s assistant director of Government Affairs–Outreach. Write him at
bmcdonald@ascassociation.org.
ASC FOCUS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 27
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