NJAASC has curated authoritative information and a list of resources for our Membership’s reference. We will continue to update this as more information becomes available.
PAST COVID E-BLAST HAVE BEEN ARCHIVED DUE TO SPACE RESTRAINTS AND TO KEEP THINGS CURRENT.
THE FIRST DAY OF ELECTIVE SURGERY – HOW DID YOUR CENTER DO?--5/26/20
So hopefully everyone made it through the first day of elective surgeries, relatively unscathed!
This is a process and like all of them we need to iron things out, and make the process work better, and that requires your assistance.
To that end, NJAASC has asked that all ASCs keep a log of glitches and the like so we can talk to NJDOH and if need be, get things changed.
We will be distributing a reporting document later this week.
STANDING ORDER FOR COVID TESTING – 5/26/20
Important in that it mandates no RX needed.
PPE & CASE LOAD REPORTING – 5/26/20
The guidelines mandated PPE and case loads reporting.
Unfortunately ASCs right now have no way to comply.
Per DOH- until a means has been established, ASCs do not have to worry about this issue.
PATIENT TESTING AND RESULTS – 5/26/20
Please make sure that you have results of negative testing before the patient walks through your doors!
By that I mean a patient ‘assuring’ you that they were tested and results were negative, and will bring them on day of surgery is not the way to do things.
The center must either have the results in their hands, or have results telephonically by checking with the lab, or from the doctor who also has either the actual results, or was telephonically notified by the lab.
SAMPLE TEMPLATE LETTER FOR HOSPITAL TRANSFER – 5/22/20
This is what DOH recommended ASCs do.
You DO NOT have to contact your hospital transfer every day.
PLEASE HELP NJAASC WITH TESTING AND 96 HOUR RULE- 5/22/20
We need to collect data so we can present it to DOH to support our contention that there is not the capacity nor the turn-around for the testing requirements.
CATCH THE NJAASC ASC GUIDELINE WEBINAR HERE – 5/22/20
If you were unable to join us on Thursday, here is the link for the webinar.
I would strongly suggest you take advantage.
DATA ELEMENTS TO MONITOR FOR COMPLIANCE WITH GUIDELINES- 5/22/20
Below find comments from the Department as regards this issue, as well as the website- the COVID DASHBOARD that was mentioned on the webinar.
Hi Jeff, no need for you to know these data elements and for you to report on them but they are available:
Ambulatory surgery centers can resume procedures based on the following capacity data from the Hospital the facility has a transfer agreement as required in d.4. The hospital shall have downward trajectory calculated using the average of the three most recent days:
1.
Influenza Like Illness (ILI) or COVID-19 like syndromic cases;
2.
COVID-19 infection rates;
3.
COVID-19 hospitalizations;
4.
COVID-19 emergency room admissions;
5.
COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care and Medical Surgical bed utilization;
6.
Ventilator utilization; and
7.
Ventilator availability.
Ambulatory Surgery Centers do not have access to these data. Please clarify the frequency of this requirement.
ONE ROOM LICENSURE SURVEYS TO RE-START – 5/22/20
While not technically a COVID related piece of information, it is nonetheless an important one!
DOH has informed me that they are re-starting one room licensure surveys the week of June 1
st
, they have several scheduled.
