Envision Healthcare Supports Clinician Well-Being During National Mental Health Awareness Month

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Envision Healthcare, a leading national medical group, continues its commitment to clinician well-being as the nation observes National Mental Health Awareness Month this May. Recognizing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline healthcare professionals’ mental health, Envision has taken comprehensive actions during the past year to enhance the wellness resources it provides clinicians, including peer-to-peer support, leadership training and universal counseling and therapy resources.

“Clinicians have given all of themselves to fight COVID-19, and they remain on the frontlines providing care when and where it is needed most,” said James Johnson, MD, Chief Clinical Officer of Anesthesiology at Envision Healthcare. “While we’ve made progress in vaccinating more people and helping our communities fight this virus, the physical and emotional impact of this pandemic cannot be ignored. Even as clinicians continue addressing the immediate crisis of caring for critically ill patients, they will have to navigate the post-traumatic stress of the pandemic in the months and years to come.”

Envision’s wellness programs include resources tailored to its 25,000 clinicians and the unique stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic, including:

  • Coaching and stress management support to help navigate the challenges of COVID-19
  • Peer-to-peer support and outreach programs to provide individualized support for clinicians
  • Unlimited private and confidential messaging (text, voice, video) and video appointment services with a private therapist through TalkSpace, a global leader in telebehavioral health
  • Video conference calls led by trained experts for clinicians and their families that focus on community support
  • Targeted counseling and follow-up sessions for clinicians who have elected to travel to COVID-19 hot spots to help them debrief and prepare for reintegration back home

“As a national medical group with 25,000 clinicians caring for more than 32 million patients annually, we recognize the importance of caring for those who care for us and our loved ones,” said Stefanie Simmons, MD, FACEP, Vice President of Clinician Engagement at Envision Healthcare. “It’s imperative that we support the well-being of our nation’s clinicians and eliminate barriers to seeking mental healthcare.”

In addition to offering expanded wellness resources, Envision advocates for public policy changes to reduce stigmas around mental health and promote the study of professional well-being. The medical group recently welcomed the enactment of provisions in the American Rescue Plan to support America’s healthcare professionals. Modeled after the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act – named in honor of emergency physician Dr. Lorna Breen who died by suicide in 2020 – the provisions aim to reduce and prevent burnout, behavioral disorders and suicide among healthcare professionals.

To learn more about Envision’s commitment to clinician mental health and well-being, click here.

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About Envision Healthcare Corporation
Envision Healthcare Corporation is a leading national medical group that delivers physician and advanced practice provider services, primarily in the areas of emergency and hospitalist medicine, anesthesiology, radiology/teleradiology, and neonatology to more than 1,800 clinical departments in healthcare facilities in 45 states and the District of Columbia. Post-acute care is delivered through an array of clinical professionals and integrated technologies which, when combined, contribute to efficient and effective population health management strategies. As a leader in ambulatory surgical care, the medical group owns and operates 257 surgery centers in 34 states and the District of Columbia, with medical specialties ranging from gastroenterology to ophthalmology and orthopedics. In total, the medical group offers a differentiated suite of clinical solutions on a national scale with a local understanding of our communities, creating value for health systems, payers, providers, and patients. For additional information, visit www.envisionhealth.com.

National Glaucoma Awareness Month: Halt the Sneak Thief of Sight with Early Detection

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January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month, and AMSURG wants to spread the word about this sight-stealing disease.

Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss in the United States. More than 3 million people in the United States, and over 60 million people worldwide, have glaucoma. The National Eye Institute projects this number will reach 4.2 million in the United States by 2030, a 40 percent increase.

Sometimes known as the “The Sneak Thief of Sight,” glaucoma is a blanket term for a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve. Glaucoma has no cure and is the leading cause of irreversible blindness. Once the damage is done to the optic nerve, a large amount of vision can be permanently lost without someone noticing.

“Glaucoma is labeled a ‘sneak thief’ because it does just that – it sneaks up on you and does damage without you noticing,” Dr. Jeff Taylor, an ophthalmologist with The Eye Surgery Center of Paducah, Kentucky, said. “That loss of vision doesn’t happen overnight; it’s a gradual process that will eventually result in permanent loss of vision if it is not adequately treated, all happening without you knowing.”

What are some common risk factors for glaucoma?

  • Age 45 or older
  • Family history of glaucoma
  • History of injury to the eye
  • African American heritage
  • History of steroid use, either in the eye (drops) or systemically (orally or injected)
  • Diabetes
  • Nearsighted (myopic)
  • Farsighted (hyperopic)
  • History of elevated intraocular pressure

Early detection is critical to preventing glaucoma from damaging your vision, and the best way to protect your sight is to get a comprehensive eye examination. If glaucoma is detected in a comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor will design a treatment plan for you. Your doctor will go over the treatment options available and make recommendations for which treatment or combinations of treatments are best for your specific condition.

“If we can document that something is changing with your optic nerve or peripheral vision early, then we can start treatment,” Dr. Taylor said. “Promising new research on glaucoma is conducted every day trying to find a cure, but until that is found, we will continue to use tools like early detection to preserve sight.”

In 2020, AMSURG centers provided thousands of glaucoma procedures. AMSURG is proud to partner with more than 60 ophthalmology and multispecialty centers, and five ophthalmology practice locations, to provide high-quality patient care and consistently work on prevention, awareness, improved treatment methods and new procedure technologies for patients with glaucoma.

Want to know if you’re at risk? Click here to take a glaucoma risk assessment and find out. Or click here to request an appointment for a comprehensive eye exam at an AMSURG Center.

AMSURG is Proud to Exceed National Benchmarks for Patient Experience Scores

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Press Ganey, a survey research firm focusing on patient experience in healthcare, disseminates over 95 million mail, phone and electronic surveys each year. So, when AMSURG’s partnering ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) exceed the national benchmarks in their results—that’s something to share. Ensuring that patients are safe and satisfied with the care they receive is always a priority but even more so during these challenging times.

More than 95 percent of AMSURG’s partnering ASCs are participating in the Press Ganey’s Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Survey (OAS CAHPS). Over the last year, the centers have consistently exceeded the national benchmarks for “overall patient experience” and “likelihood to recommend.” Additionally, many of these centers chose to share the results on their websites and to be transparent with their patients’ feedback.

When comparing AMSURG partner ASCs with hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs), AMSURG ASCs have consistently ranked in the 80th percentile in 2020—outperforming the majority of HOPDs. In the second quarter of 2020 and in the midst of crisis, AMSURG centers were in the 87th percentile for overall patient experience ratings.

As AMSURG’s partners are some of the only centers to publicly display these comments and overall rankings, results and experiences have continued to deliver well-earned recognition. One patient at Eastern Connecticut Endoscopy Center, who scored 89 percent for overall patient experience and 88 percent for likelihood to recommend, wrote, “I felt very comfortable and safe with all of the staff and facilities during my recent visit to have a colonoscopy performed. Every effort was made to ensure my safety as a senior citizen, and the procedure was completed in a little more than an hour.”

Westbank Surgery Center, who scored 94 percent for overall patient experience and 93 percent for likelihood to recommend, has also been given amazing feedback, including one pleased patient who applauded the facility and appreciated their team for easing apprehensions. “Very good experience. Staff is very organized, and everything ran smoothly like clockwork as it should. Have had lots of hospital visits. This was an A+ one. I will be returning in 2 weeks for a second procedure and am very at ease about it,” the patient commented.

“AMSURG is a strong proponent of sharing our patient experience scores and we are impressed by the positive feedback from our patients,” said Nina Goins, Vice President of Quality and Clinical Services for AMSURG. “As the centers face new challenges, patient safety and quality remain the primary focus. The great efforts of their care and the constant demonstration of their compassion for patients have absolutely not gone unnoticed, and I think it’s important we commend this valuable work.”

AMSURG will continue to support partnering centers and drive best practices in order to continue providing our patients with high-quality experiences.

For more information about AMSURG’s commitment to our centers amid COVID-19, visit amsurg.com/covid-19.

Introducing The SURG Videocast: Watch the First Episode Today

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AMSURG is excited to announce the launch of a new videocast, The Surg. Each month, we will host an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) physician partner to discuss clinical hot topics. Are there pros and cons to pre-procedure testing? What are safe turnaround times in an era of COVID-19? How should you prepare for flu season amidst COVID-19? We’ll answer those questions, and more, as we seek to be a resource for research and best practices, and a voice for our ambulatory surgery centers.

Episode 1

Envision Healthcare Chief Medical Officer and AMSURG Interim President Chan Chuang, M.D., hosts the first episode of The Surg, which you can watch here.

In the episode, Dr. Chuang and Erick Pecha, M.D., a gastroenterologist and founding physician partner with Folsom Sierra Endoscopy Center in California and president of the Gastroenterology Medical Clinic in Folsom, together tackle questions about COVID testing times, surgery center workflow, getting through state inspections, and best practices for increasing capacity while enhancing safety.

One bright spot Dr. Pecha identifies: though patients are somewhat anxious about safety, no-show rates are down from the pre-COVID era. One reason for that is the pre-procedure planning process. “Once you set up the program … and you explain to your patients that our goal is to create a sphere of safety for them that is better than their local grocery store, there has been quite easy adoption by the patients in terms of their compliance.”

Share Your Feedback

As with all of our communications, we welcome your feedback. After viewing The Surg, please take a moment to complete this survey.

Envision Healthcare Appoints Key Leaders

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Envision Healthcare, one of the nation’s leading medical groups, today announced new additions to its leadership team, with Jay Martus returning to the organization in the new role of Chief Revenue Officer and Jeff Snodgrass joining as President of AMSURG.

“As a national medical group, our leaders all share the same mission – supporting clinicians so they can care for patients,” said Envision Chief Executive Officer Jim Rechtin. “Jay and Jeff have extensive experience in healthcare administration, and they will be part of the leadership team that is charting the course so Envision can continue to set standards for patient care. I am very pleased to welcome Jay back to our organization and look forward to having both him and Jeff on board.”

As Chief Revenue Officer, Martus will focus on managed care, malpractice risk and hospital contracting. Martus spent 20 years at Sheridan Healthcare, which later became Envision Physician Services following the 2016 merger between Envision and AMSURG. Until 2014, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer. He also previously served as President of Advantia Health, a board member of Ob Hospitalist Group and a healthcare consultant.

As President of AMSURG, Snodgrass will lead one of the country’s largest ambulatory surgery management operations. Prior to joining Envision, Snodgrass served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Azura Vascular Care and National Cardiology Partners, leading the company’s vascular and cardiology outpatient, interventional and surgical business units at Fresenius Medical Care. Before joining Fresenius, Jeff was the Chief Financial Officer at inVentiv Health, supporting the integration and creation of a global Contract Research Organization. Snodgrass spent 17 years at Merck & Co., most recently serving as Vice President of Finance for Merck’s research and development organization.

With a new AMSURG President in place, Interim President Dr. Chan Chuang will return to his previously announced, full-time role as Envision’s Chief Medical Officer. Both Martus and Snodgrass will be in their new roles by early September.

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About Envision Healthcare Corporation

Envision Healthcare Corporation is a leading national medical group that delivers physician and advanced practice provider services, primarily in the areas of emergency and hospitalist medicine, anesthesiology, radiology/teleradiology, and neonatology to more than 1,800 clinical departments in healthcare facilities in 45 states and the District of Columbia. Post-acute care is delivered through an array of clinical professionals and integrated technologies which, when combined, contribute to efficient and effective population health management strategies. As a market leader in ambulatory surgical care, the medical group owns and operates 257 surgery centers and one surgical hospital in 34 states and the District of Columbia, with medical specialties ranging from gastroenterology to ophthalmology and orthopedics. In total, the medical group offers a differentiated suite of clinical solutions on a national scale with a local understanding of our communities, creating value for health systems, payers, providers, and patients. For additional information, visit www.envisionhealth.com.

AMSURG Centers Excel in Patient Experience

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Eight Centers Receive the Coveted Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award

Surgery centers across the AMSURG network work diligently to deliver an ideal experience and safe, high-quality care to our patients every day. Eight of our centers have consistently exceeded patient experience goals and were awarded the 2020 Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award. These surgery centers maintained exemplary patient experience ratings for the past year, ranking within the top fifth percentile of Press Ganey’s eligible clientele. Only 18 of 2,700 surgery centers received the award and AMSURG is honored to represent nearly half of the award recipients.

Guardian of Excellence Award Winners

Gastroenterology

Ophthalmology

Orthopaedic

*This is the second consecutive year for Sun City Endoscopy Center to receive the prestigious award.

“Our surgery centers are an integral part of the healthcare systems in the communities they serve. We commend each of the surgery centers for their commitment to providing exceptional care and experiences for every patient,” said Chan Chuang, M.D., FCCP, FACP, AMSURG President and Envision Healthcare Chief Medical Officer. “These eight centers are shining examples of what it means to provide patient-centered care.”

The Guardian of Excellence Award recognizes healthcare organizations that score in the 95th percentile for patient experience, employee/physician engagement or clinical quality performance. Press Ganey, a leader in development and distribution of patient satisfaction surveys, partners with more than 26,000 organizations to administer the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Survey (OAS CAHPS). The survey measures the care experiences of patients who receive procedures at Medicare-certified surgery centers.

“AMSURG is very proud of the work these centers perform in service to patients every day. This year has been especially unique, presenting new challenges and working environments,” said Nina Goins, Vice President of Quality and Clinical Services, AMSURG, “The centers have not let these challenges impact the focus on keeping our patients our first priority. They are truly setting the standard.”

AMSURG is proud to recognize these centers and their employees for their ability to uphold and consistently deliver high-quality patient care.

Short Hills Surgery Center Shows Flexibility During COVID-19, Serves Community Need

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As COVID-19 continues to disrupt America’s healthcare system, AMSURG’s ASC partners have displayed remarkable flexibility and ambition in augmenting the capabilities of their centers to help stabilize their communities and keep patients safe. At Short Hills Surgery Center (SHSC) in Millburn, New Jersey, strategic efforts made by administrative, physician and AMSURG leadership helped to quickly serve the community’s need while maintaining the viability of the ASC.

The response to learning of the infectious nature of COVID-19 was one of immediate action. SHSC leadership immediately canceled scheduled patients at high risk of infection, limited the center’s operating days, and took steps to prepare for overflow relief from hospitals around the community.

To minimize the possibility of cross-infection exposure to a COVID-19-positive person and risk the closure of the ASC, staff was divided into teams assigned to work on different days. Communication was sent to all members of the medical staff to advise them of the new protocols and to provide them with a status update on the center’s operations.

SHSC’s medical director reached out to medical leadership at SHSC’s health system partner, RWJ Barnabas Health, offering the center as a “relief valve” for patients within the health system requiring urgent surgery that could not be managed by their hospitals. After being welcomed by the health system, SHSC administration quickly sprang into action to identify which additional surgical cases could be handled from the hospital and to procure the resources needed to expand their scope of service.

SHSC has also implemented rigorous safety protocols to further protect the safety of staff and patients from COVID-19 exposure.

This incredible response by SHSC exemplifies the agility and thoughtfulness required across the healthcare industry to appropriately address the COVID-19 pandemic and respond to community need. While there are no one-size-fits-all solutions for an unprecedented crisis such as this, AMSURG is committed to helping our ASC partners develop and implement solutions that work to protect their patients and clinicians while ensuring the viability of their center and its essential role in the community.

To learn more about the work AMSURG is doing in collaboration with our ASC partners, visit our COVID-19 landing page.

BOSS Fills Community Need Through Center Reallocation

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As the COVID-19 crisis continues to evolve, AMSURG’s centers are responding with ingenuity and are meeting the needs in their communities to support long-term population health. At Boston Out-Patient Surgical Suites (BOSS) in Waltham, Massachusetts, that meant adapting their facility to assist local hospitals in the effort to protect patients and clinicians.

Through the leadership and guidance of Center Leader Greg Deconciliis, BOSS transitioned their center to support COVID-19 relief efforts in their local community. Coordinating with local hospitals, BOSS converted their physician offices to “urgent-care” settings, whereby physicians could see patients through both telehealth and in-person visits and would be able to streamline their surgical care in the operating rooms upstairs in a COVID-19-free setting.

The center also provided outreach to the director of surgery at a local acute care hospital through BOSS’s general surgeon, offering a streamlined process to move patients from the emergency department to BOSS to offload the hospital’s workflow and resources. These strategic moves helped establish a stronger local healthcare safety net by managing the resources necessary to respond to patient needs and keep clinicians safe.

Protecting Patients and Staff

We appreciate BOSS’s thoughtful response to the COVID-19 crisis, which has helped safeguard its viability while protecting patients, clinicians and communities.

AMSURG is committed to serving our centers and communities during this unprecedented time and in preparation for its aftermath. In collaboration with our ASC partners, our Flex Operational Plan is ready to help centers reallocate resources to ensure our local communities stay safe. To learn more about AMSURG’s COVID-19 response efforts, visit our COVID-19 page.

Patient Safety a Top Priority Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

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COVID-19 has had far-reaching impacts on our lives, with medical procedures and surgeries deemed “elective” and postponed in order to slow the virus’s spread. In reality, these procedures are far from optional: delaying medical interventions can result in increased health problems, such as later-stage cancer diagnoses.

Increased Patient Safety Measures to Combat COVID-19

In recent weeks, our ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) have resumed elective cases and implemented a number of protocols to ensure patient safety. These measures include:

  • Screening everyone who enters our surgery centers for COVID-19 symptoms
  • Taking the temperature of every person who enters our surgery centers
  • Requiring masks for all employees and patients
  • Enforcing social distancing guidelines
  • Requesting patient escorts remain in the car until patient is ready to go home
  • Increasing cleaning of high-touch surfaces throughout the day
  • Providing hand sanitizer and tissues

Learn more about all of the steps our ASCs are taking to keep patients safe.

Patients Feel Safe at Our Surgery Centers

Patients who have already returned to our ASCs have first-hand experience of the new protocols in action. Their feedback has been extremely positive, with reactions like:

“During this COVID-19 time, I was especially nervous about my procedure but was immediately greeted by the friendliest nurse around. She was very courteous and kept asking if I was fine. She prepared me for the procedure by carefully doing everything that needed to be done and listened to me. The rest of the staff was also very professional and took great care of my needs. Thank you all for a great experience that I hopefully won’t have to repeat for a while.” – San Antonio, April 2020

“Even during these crazy times, I was treated with the utmost respect, courtesy, and care. My doctor and her amazing team took the necessary steps to make sure I wasn’t put at greater risk during my procedure. They ensured all my questions were answered, and I was 100% ready going into and out of the procedure.” – Escondido, April 2020

“Every social distancing precaution that I have learned was practiced from the front entrance to the check-in desk to the exam rooms to my time with my doctor and my exit. They were all efficient and caring before the virus and that certainly was the case at this visit also.” –  Knoxville, May 2020

Patient Safety Awareness Week: COVID-19 Preparation Through Our Culture of Safety

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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has communities on high alert, and AMSURG is equipping its more than 250 ambulatory surgery center partnerships with clinical best practices to prepare for and protect patients from the virus.

AMSURG values the ability to partner with clinicians and work as a community to ensure the delivery of high quality and safe patient care. In honor of Patient Safety Awareness Week from March 8-14, AMSURG is proud to recognize our ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) partners across the country and highlight their commitment to safety.

This past year, 12 of AMSURG’s partnering centers were among the pilot group of volunteers who participated in the first-ever Culture of Safety Survey offered to ASCs. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) designed this survey to evaluate how each employee feels about the patient safety environment of their center.

The engagement and responsiveness of the participating centers presented an opportunity for Nina Goins, R.N., Vice President of Quality and Clinical Services for AMSURG, to analyze the data and to work individually with these ASCs to establish and share comprehensive best practices. “I truly believe in a learning culture,” Goins said. “We really value this initiative because it allowed us to learn more about our centers’ safety culture and how we can best support them.”

In a collaborative effort with center leaders and medical directors, Goins and her team developed action plans, identified areas of opportunity for improving patient safety and implemented effective change management strategies. Following the success of the survey, Goins plans to offer the Culture of Safety Survey to all partner centers in 2020.

The Culture of Safety Survey works to improve the quality of care and reduce the risk of complications that can harm both patient and clinician well-being. When it comes to addressing clinician’s concerns at our centers, Ginger Woodside, R.N., Director of Clinical Risk Management for AMSURG, focuses on improving situational awareness in addition to serving as the voice of support. “We are really focused on engagement because it is so important for these clinicians to have this safe space to talk,” Woodside said. “We want them to know that we are here; we are their resource.”

Looking towards the future, AMSURG will continue to pursue enhancements in patient care with culture- driven initiatives focused on community support and patient safety.

Learn how Envision Healthcare’s Patient Safety Organization is setting new standards and Envision Physicians Services is leveraging data and collaboration to improve patient outcomes through the links below.

Envision Healthcare Patient Safety News Story

Envision Physician Services Patient Safety News Story