Becker's ASC Review

33 ORTHOPEDICS Steadman Clinic moves to absorb hospital orthopedic group — 6 things to know By Angie Stewart T he Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo., signed a letter of intent to absorb OrthoAspen, which is part of Aspen (Colo.) Valley Hospital, e Aspen Times reports. Six things to know: 1. AVH and e Steadman Clinic began discussing a partnership earlier this year, hospital officials confirmed to e Aspen Times May 31. 2. OrthoAspen employees were notified about the planned transition May 29. 3. AVH and e Steadman Clinic will be negotiating details over the next few months, including what the hospital's role will be once OrthoAspen is absorbed. 4. ey're aiming to have a definitive agree- ment by late summer and to complete the transition by the end of the year. Staffing details haven't been finalized. 5. OrthoAspen will continue operating as normal while details are being worked out. 6. e goal is to create a "strategic partner- ship" rather than operate separately, AVH CEO Dave Ressler said. "We're working to avoid redundancy, so it doesn't really make sense to have two dif- ferent practices operating at the same time," Mr. Ressler told e Aspen Times. "So, yes, we have talked about there only being one practice which would obviously be e Steadman Clinic. … We thought we could ultimately come out with a better product for our community by working in partnership with them." n Michigan neurosurgeon permanently loses license, settles charges he misdiagnosed 250 children By Alan Condon N eurosurgeon Yasser Awaad, MD, on May 20 per- manently surrendered his medical license and agreed to pay $5,000 to settle allegations that he misdiagnosed more than 250 children as suffering from epilepsy or seizure disorders, Detroit Free Press reports. Dr. Awaad previously practiced at Oakwood Hospital and Medical Center in Dearborn, Mich., now part of Southfield, Mich.-based Beaumont Health. A 2018 complaint filed by the state attorney general alleged that Dr. Awaad made misdiagnoses that were "based on electroencephalograms that were either not performed or not interpreted properly." Children were given unnecessary medication that was sometimes harmful, according to the complaint. The complaints pertain to cases from 1997 to 2007. Dr. Awaad was found to be negligent in two civil cases. A jury awarded one patient $3 million, which was later reduced to $846,000 due to caps on malpractice claims. The patient in the second case was awarded almost $2.8 million, which is likely to be reduced too, according to the Detroit Free Press. Dr. Awaad has not practiced medicine since 2007, ac- cording to state officials. n Dr. Thomas Vikoren: Same-day TJR 'made all the more important' by COVID-19 By Angie Stewart O utpatient surgery centers are well-suited for a post- COVID-19 world, Thomas Vikoren, MD, told the Bucks County Courier Times. Four things to know: 1. Dr. Vikoren and his partners opened an ASC called Bucks County Surgical Suites last year in Warrington, Pa. There, they perform same-day surgeries such as total joint replacements. 2. ASCs performing same-day total joint replacement have been "made all the more important by the recent corona- virus epidemic," Dr. Vikoren said in an interview with the Bucks County Courier Times. 3. Bucks County Surgical Suites temporarily closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, but it reopened in May with new protocols. All 30 employees, staff and surgeons must be tested for COVID-19, along with any patients planning to visit the center. Appointments are spaced throughout the day and evening to allow for social distancing. 4. Although patients are increasingly seeking care in low- risk settings, according to Dr. Vikoren, some may defer surgeries because of COVID-19. "People are putting things off, and many of these condi- tions grow worse with time if they're not addressed," he said. n

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