Healthcare Course Library for Continuing Education

N95 filtering facepiece respirators are air-purifying respirators certified by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) that filter airborne contaminants and microbial agents with an efficiency level of 95% or greater. By the end of this course, the learner will understand why N95 respirators are required, the capabilities and limitations of N95 respirators, as well as proper fit testing and seal-checking procedures.

Regulatory and accreditation standards require ambulatory surgery centers to have a QAPI (Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement) program and written plan in place. The impact of a successful QAPI program is improvement in patient care, outcomes and experience. The involvement of leadership and every employee is essential for success and builds staff engagement. This course will discuss how to overcome obstacles in the implementation of a QAPI program and identify essential factors for success.

Accreditation organizations require an infection prevention risk assessment to help facilities develop a global view of the risks that patients and staff face in their specific settings. This course will explore best practices for developing and conducting an infection prevention risk assessment and focus on helping personnel responsible for this task understand the key components and steps to take. You will learn how to collect geographic, population and services information; how to identify and score the risks; and ways to prioritize the risks you uncover in your ASC in the order of magnitude. Consider goals and objectives your ASC can adopt based on the risks you identify.

An effective risk management program goes beyond reporting incidents. Learn how to keep staff, patients and the ASC protected and free from harm. This course will discuss risk identification, investigation and analysis, action planning, monitoring and responding to actual and potential risks, integration with the Quality Assessment/Performance Improvement program and protecting assets through insurance policies or by removing the risk of financial loss. Information will be provided to assist the ASC in developing an environment that fosters awareness of risk management throughout the organization.

This course explains the importance of proper discharge planning in an ambulatory surgery center (ASC). Ambulatory surgical discharge planning includes essential tasks such as assessing patient vital signs, level of consciousness, pain control, home care instructions like wound care and dressing change, discussing with the patient any follow-up care and appointments, and ensuring there is a responsible adult to escort the patient home. This course aligns with the training requirements specified in the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory HealthCare (AAAHC) Accreditation and QUAD A (previously AAAASF) standards. Course expiration date: 3/23/2026

This course will focus on the benefits of establishing and maintaining coding audits and potential pitfalls of not using the results of audit reports to manage risks. Audits often provide an excellent insight into the ASC’s management of internal controls.
We will also review the benefits of the ongoing and focused measurement of policy implementation, training, and internal reporting requirements to support the recommendations of the audit findings, which is a best practice for compliance and maximizing reimbursement. Course expiration date: 2/27/2026

This course will provide updated information and examples to demonstrate the important role that each individual plays in your organization in ensuring compliance with applicable laws. The federal government utilizes the False Claim Act (FSA), Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS), the Physical Self-Referral Law (Stark Law), the Exclusion Authorities, and Civil Monetary Penalties Law (CMPL) to combat fraud, waste, and abuse. Course expiration date: 2/27/2026

Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) that receive funding from CMS must comply with federal and state regulations regarding the use of medical restraints. In this course, we will discuss the ramifications of restraint use in terms of the law, the health provider, and the patient, and discuss why ongoing training and review are necessary. We will highlight the CMS standards regarding the use of restraints, focusing on those which are relevant in the ASC setting. Finally, we will review important considerations when ordering, applying, monitoring, discontinuing, and documenting restraint use in ASCs.

Adding in-house testing to an ASC’s list of services requires the right research, application, and integration processes. While there are challenges with implementing new testing protocols, they can lead to substantial benefits for your practice, including improved consultations, better outcomes, and greater efficiency. This course is a recording of a panel discussion on The Benefits of In-House Lab Screening for ASCs held on Monday, January 25, 2021. Course expiration date: 2/19/2026