News & Announcements
Spring in Springfield
posted: May 16, 2018
IASCA headed down state to Springfield, IL, on May 8, 2018, to hold the association’s first annual Springfield Conference. The conference provided a convenient opportunity for our southern members to network with colleagues, learn from industry experts, and advocate for ASCs at the State Capitol.
The morning sessions began with an IASCA update by IASCA President, Sarah Gardner, who spoke to what IASCA has accomplished in its first year and the upcoming IASCA Board of Director elections. Following Ms. Gardner was an active attacker presentation led by retired police sergeant Chuck Kean. Prior to working in the police force, Mr. Kean was a platoon sergeant for the US Army Reserve and served in Afghanistan. Using his extensive background in law enforcement and military, Mr. Kean prepared attendees for a wide range of dangerous situations that could occur at their ASC. Next Monica Daniel from Axiom Integrated Services discussed the various ASC accreditation agencies in her presentation entitled “ASC Accreditation: Compare and Contrast”. Ms. Daniel discussed the differences and nuances between TJC, AAAHC, AAAASF, IMQ, and HFAP, to help attendees determine which accrediting body is the best fit for their ASC. The next general education sessions provided attendees with ways to best optimize their business operations in a session presented by Kyle Goldammer and Heidi Babb of Partners Medical Consulting.
The latter half of the afternoon focused on ASC advocacy. Ross Weber, IASCA State Affairs Manager, led an interactive review of IASCA’s priority advocacy issues and provided an introduction to advocacy. The presentation included discussions on workers’ compensation, physician presence, and certificate of need issues. State Representative Dan Brady joined the conference to give a brief update on legislation in Springfield.
During lunch, attendees split into small groups to review the issues and practice their talking points before walking over to the Capitol to meet with state legislators. The first stop was the House Gallery to watch the legislature in action and be recognized on the floor by Representative Brady. Then the groups split up to reach as many legislators as possible to spread the word about the benefits of ASCs and the issues they face. These meetings are an important piece in establishing relationships with legislators and making a name for IASCA. The day was considered a rousing success by attendees and IASCA is looking forward to continuing this success throughout the year.
If you couldn’t attend the conference and are an IASCA member, you may view the presentations online.