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Since the early 1980s, an ever-growing interest in outpatient ophthalmic surgery-as a means of providing the best possible care for our patients at the lowest possible cost-has been developing in the United States and abroad. That interest, along with expanded reimbursement for outpatient surgical facilities, stimulated the founding of OOSS in 1981 and its subsequent growth to a current membership of more than five hundred ophthalmic surgeons.
In 2001, the Outpatient Ophthalmic Surgery Society entered its third decade of accomplishment. The realization of its Founders' goal-the provision of the highest quality ophthalmic surgical care at the lowest possible cost-has evolved through the development of ophthalmic ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). The outpatient surgical setting has become the standard for ophthalmic surgery in the United States. The effect has been a savings, to government and other third-party payers, of hundreds of millions of dollars that, without the advent of outpatient surgery, would have been spent on hospital costs for inpatient care.
Where once OOSS represented the interests of those ophthalmologists who developed their own ASC-providing networking opportunities, information, and educational forums, the Society has now come to represent the best interests of all ophthalmic surgeons. From an organization whose original primary purpose was to provide education, OOSS has evolved into the trade association of today-an advocate for the socioeconomic interests of all ophthalmologists: cataract and refractive surgeons, vitreoretinal specialists, and glaucoma specialists alike.
Keeping in mind OOSS' original goal, the Society continues to focus on quality-of-care issues. Since 1982, OOSS has dedicated a significant portion of its annual budget to supporting the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), maintaining a seat on its Board of Directors. OOSS stresses the value of accreditation to Members who own ASCs, and many OOSS members volunteer to survey peer facilities. OOSS Members develop quality-assurance programs for their own facilities along the guidelines established by AAAHC: Accredited and Medicare-certified facilities have fully trained and licensed personnel; adhere to life, fire, and safety codes; and have specialized emergency back-up systems. Ophthalmic ASCs can provide the same high-quality care as hospitals. In 1996, the federal Government's allowance of deemed status granted AAAHC the authority to survey simultaneously for accreditation and Medicare certification, an important time- and cost-savings step for ophthalmic ASCs.
Together with other ambulatory care organizations OOSS campaigns to ensure the availability of high-quality anesthesia care for ophthalmic surgery patients. OOSS Members believe this vital aspect of surgical care must be held as a top priority in order to safeguard the health and wellbeing of ophthalmic surgical patients.
Outpatient ophthalmic surgery yields clinical results comparable to those of inpatient surgery, yet the cost is far less. Ambulatory surgery centers allow ophthalmic surgeons to maximize their time and efficiency, utilize the most modern equipment of their own selection, and train and develop a friendly, caring staff that relates well to patients. Patients and their families can obtain education and information about ophthalmic disease and ophthalmic surgical procedures at their doctor's ASC. Patients like to have their surgical care provided at the same facility that provides routine eye care, where they see the same friendly staff in comfortable and familiar surroundings. OOSS Members are not just ASC owners. Many operate in hospital outpatient departments or freestanding surgery centers. Membership in OOSS provides access to information about reimbursement, the current legislative and regulatory environment, as well as management issues that pertain to all ophthalmic surgical practice. OOSS works closely with other outpatient care organizations to further recognition of the quality care and cost-effectiveness that outpatient settings can provide.
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History
OOSPAC
