Is hockey the most dangerous sport? What about skiing or snowboarding? There’s something about a winter sports injury, where speed is often coupled with cold weather, that can make athletes (and their parents) particularly nervous.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, over 220,000 patients were treated for injuries from winter sports during the year 2017. This data includes visits to doctor’s offices, hospitals, and emergency departments. So winter injuries can be common–but there are steps you can take to avoid them, especially if you’re an active winter athlete.

One of the most feared injuries for athletes is an ACL tear. As one of the four ligaments that stabilize the knee, a minor tear or complete rupture of the ACL could mean months of recovery or possibly an end to playing sports. An injury to the ACL can cause the knee to give out and increase the possibility of injuring other parts of the knee.

Most ACL injuries occur from:

• Abruptly changing directions while running – such as in basketball, football, soccer, skiing, volleyball and more
• Falling after a jump or landing wrong
• Weak muscles that have affected the stability of the knee
• Receiving a direct blow to the knee

First Iowa procedure done in February in Iowa City
IOWA CITY — Larry Mahnke surrendered his driver’s license two years ago after sleep apnea made him so drowsy he couldn’t drive safely.

The 63-year-old Manning man was driving home late one night when he was pulled over by a police officer.

“He said, ‘I got a report that you’ve been driving around town drunk’,” Mahnke recalls. “I don’t even drink.”

Inspire therapy is a new, clinically proven treatment option, approved by the FDA, for people with Obstructive Sleeve Apnea (OSA). Inspire Therapy is specifically designed for people with moderate to severe OSA who are unable to use Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP).

Iowa City Ambulatory Surgical Center is the first center in Iowa to offer Inspire therapy. Inspire therapy is a new, clinically proven treatment option, approved by the FDA, for people with Obstructive Sleeve Apnea (OSA). Inspire Therapy is specifically designed for people with moderate to severe OSA who are unable to use Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP).

Iowa City, IA— April 19, 2016 — Iowa City Ambulatory Surgery Center continues to provide cutting edge technology to their patients.  Iowa City ASC was the first center in Iowa to start using ORA with VerifEye+ technology during cataract surgeries.  ORA with VerifEye+ technology provides key intra-operative measurements for refractive cataract surgery to improve precision of surgical implantation of intra-ocular lenses.

Becker’s ASC Review has announced the publication of its list, “164 ASC industry physician leaders to know — 2016,” which recognizes outstanding physician leaders in surgery centers across the United States. Named to the list for the second time is Thomas Simpson, MD, FACS, who is the Medical Director at the Iowa City Ambulatory Surgical Center since 2005.

Tomorrow, April 7, is the blood drive at Iowa City Ambulatory Surgery Center! Did you schedule your appointment to help save a life?

Here are the details in case you missed them!
DAY: Thursday, April 7
TIME: 2:00 – 5:00 pm
WHERE: At the Iowa City ASC Donor Bus, 2963 Northgate Drive Iowa City, IA 52245

“Blue Cross Blue Shield Association Study Shows How Consumers Save With Shift to Outpatient Care”

In an article released last week by Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) Maureen Sullivan, chief strategy officer and senior vice president of strategic services for BCBSA said, “For appropriate patients, outpatient surgery has been shown to be safe and effective, achieving similar or better outcomes as inpatient procedures while allowing patients to spend less time in a medical facility, recover faster and incur less pain.” http://www.bcbs.com/…/bcbsa-study-shows-how-consumers-save-…

Each year our team regularly performs a variety of emergency drills on how to respond in an emergency. Last week our team performed the Malignant Hyperthermia Emergency drill. This drill educates healthcare providers on this condition, which can occur either during surgery or after. The Iowa City ASC processes and quality measures ensure that our center functions in the most efficient, high quality manner to offer every patient the best results!

New Study Finds Billions in Savings Tied to ASCs

ASCs are poised to save Medicare up to $57.6 billion over the next ten years, according to a new analysis by researchers at the prominent University of California-Berkeley Nicholas C. Petris Center on Health Care Markets and Consumer Welfare. The researchers analyzed government data between 2008 and 2011 and determined that ASCs saved Medicare $7.5 billion between the four-year span. The researchers then determined that ASCs have the potential to save the Medicare system an additional $57.6 billion over the next decade.