OAK BROOK, Ill. – January 15, 2009 – The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) has recognized 56 endoscopy units as part of its new program specifically dedicated to promoting quality in endoscopy, in all settings where it is practiced in the United States. The ASGE Endoscopy Unit Recognition Program honors endoscopy units that follow the ASGE guidelines on privileging, quality assurance, endoscopy reprocessing and CDC infection control guidelines.
"ASGE received an outstanding response to this program, and we are delighted to be recognizing the first recipients from 56 endoscopy units, who are working hard everyday to provide high-quality care to their patients in a safe environment," said Douglas O. Faigel, MD, FASGE, chairman, ASGE Quality Assurance Task Force. "We are proud to acknowledge these ASGE members through our Endoscopy Unit Recognition Program for their commitment to promoting the highest standards of safety and quality."
An important component of the program is an educational course that thoroughly reviews related guidelines. The inaugural course, "Improving Quality and Safety in Your Endoscopy Unit," was held on Oct. 17-18, 2008, in Oak Brook, Ill., at ASGE's Institute for Training and Technology. The course sold out in October, so it is being repeated on February 21, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nev.
Upon completion of the program, units receive an ASGE "Certificate of Recognition" for promoting quality in endoscopy. This symbol can be displayed to let patients and referring physicians know that the endoscopy unit is dedicated to delivering high-quality endoscopic care and has received specialized training around these principles.
2009 ASGE Endoscopy Unit Recognition Program Honorees
- Saints Streets/Lafayette General Ambulatory Endoscopy, Lafayette, LA
- Digestive Health And Endoscopy Center, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA
- Eastside Endoscopy Center, Saint Clair Shores, MI
- Long Island Digestive Disease Consultants, East Setauket, NY
- Glen Endoscopy Center, LLC, Skokie, IL
- Digestive Disease Consultants, Clifton Springs, NY
- Douglaston Endoscopy OBS, PC, Douglaston, NY
- Stony Brook University Medical Center Endoscopy Unit, Stony Brook, NY
- Baylor Ambulatory Endoscopy Center, Plano, TX
- Southwest Fort Worth Endoscopy Center, Fort Worth, TX
- Fort Worth Endoscopy Center, Fort Worth, TX
- New York GI Center, LLC, Bronx, NY
- Digestive Disease & Hepatology, Rochester, NY
- The Center for Digestive Wellness, Kingsport, TN
- Endoscopy Center at Robinwood, LLC, Hagerstown, MD
- Kips Bay Endoscopy Center, New York, NY
- Pennsylvania Gastroenterology Consultants, Camp Hill, PA
- University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, GI Division, Philadelphia, PA
- The Endoscopy Center, Encinitas, CA
- Bucks County GI Endoscopic Surgical Center, Levittown, PA
- SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
- San Antonio Endoscopy Center, San Antonio, TX
- Ambulatory Surgical Center of Miami, Miami, FL
- Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, PA
- Colorado Endoscopy Centers, LLC, Longmont, CO
- Richard L Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN
- Gastroenterology Associates of Cleveland, Inc, Beachwood, OH
- Carroll County Digestive Disease Center, Westminster, MD
- Ambulatory Surgical Center of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, NV
- The Endoscopy and Colonoscopy Center, LLC, Hazelwood, MO
- Canton-Potsdam Hospital, Canton, NY
- Tri-State Digestive Disorder Center (TSDDC) Crestview Hills, KY
- Midwest Endoscopy Center, LLC, Saint Louis, MO
- Brandywine Valley Endoscopy Center, Ltd., Coatesville, PA
- Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology, Camp Hill, PA
- Innovis Health, Fargo, ND
- Community Surgery Center, Munster, IN
- Sansum Clinic, Santa Barbara, CA
- Raleigh Endoscopy Center, LLC, Raleigh, NC
- Bayonne Medical Center, Bayonne, NJ
- Palo Alto Medical Foundation Camino Division SurgiCenter, Mountain View, CA
- Endoscopy Center Of North Baltimore, LLC, Towson, MD
- Lakeland Surgical And Diagnostic Center, Lakeland, FL
- University of California, San Diego, GI Division, La Jolla, CA
- The Endoscopy Center At Gateway, PA
- North Texas GI Center, Arlington, TX
- Cape Islands Digestive Disease Associates, PC, Hyannis, MA
- Carolina Mountain Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Center, Hendersonville, NC
- Pinehurst Medical Clinic, Pinehurst, NC
- Digestive Care Inc., Dayton, OH
- Rockford Endoscopy Center, Rockford, IL
- University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH
- Gastroenterology Associates, P.A., Hickory, NC
- Lexington Surgery Center, Lexington, KY
- Ambulatory Center For Endoscopy, LLC, West New York, NJ
About the Program
To successfully complete the program and receive a Certificate of Recognition, a center must show proof of successful and current accreditation by a recognized accrediting body (AAAHC, Joint Commission); sign an attestation affirming that certain ASGE and CDC guidelines are adopted as minimum requirements of the unit policy; have a representative of the unit complete the ASGE Recognition Course, "Improving Quality and Safety In Your Endoscopy Unit;" and submit the application fee(s). The Certificate of Recognition award is granted for a three-year renewable period.
The program is applicable to all settings in the United States where endoscopy is practiced, including office-based endoscopy units, hospital-based endoscopy units, and stand-alone ambulatory endoscopy or surgery centers.
As a benefit of successfully completing the program, endoscopy units will receive the ASGE Certificate of Recognition for Promoting Quality in Endoscopy, patient brochures - Ensuring the Safety of Your Endoscopic Procedure, access to advice from reprocessing experts and more. For a list of the full benefits, log on to www.asge.org.
ASGE and Quality ASGE is the profession's leader in setting standards of excellence in endoscopy through its safety guidelines and the training of its members so that patients receive the best and safest care possible. The Society constantly reinforces the importance of quality among its members through member communications, such as emails and newsletters, and its CME courses, including "Improving Quality and Safety in Your Endoscopy Unit."
The program course is being repeated in 2009. To register, as well as for a list of full requirements and benefits of the Endoscopy Unit Recognition Program, log on to www.asge.org.
COURSE DETAILS:
Improving Quality and Safety in Your Endoscopy Unit
February 21, 2009
The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV
Course Directors: Jonathan Cohen, MD, FASGE, and David A. Greenwald, MD, FASGE
To register, contact ASGE at 630-573-0600 or go to www.asge.org
Additional Faculty:
John L. Petrini, MD, FASGE,
Douglas O. Faigel, MD, FASGE
Thomas M. Deas, MD, FASGE
Irving M. Pike, MD, FASGE
Joseph J. Vicari, MD, FASGE
David Hambrick, RN
ASGE Institute for Training & Technology (IT & T)
The IT&T Center is a fully operational ex-vivo endoscopy lab, equipped with endoscopic workstations and capsule endoscopy workstations. Using the latest medical equipment and technologically advanced endoscopes, cameras, video imaging and computers, the Center faculty engages the participant in a hands-on educational format.
About the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Founded in 1941, the mission of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy is to be the leader in advancing patient care and digestive health by promoting excellence in gastrointestinal endoscopy. ASGE, with nearly 11,000 members worldwide, promotes the highest standards for endoscopic training and practice, fosters endoscopic research, recognizes distinguished contributions to endoscopy, and is the foremost resource for endoscopic education. Visit www.asge.org and www.screen4coloncancer.org for more information.
About Endoscopy
Endoscopy is performed by specially-trained physicians called endoscopists using the most current technology to diagnose and treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Using flexible, thin tubes called endoscopes, endoscopists are able to access the human digestive tract without incisions via natural orifices. Endoscopes are designed with high-intensity lighting and fitted with precision devices that allow viewing and treatment of the gastrointestinal system. In many cases, screening or treatment of conditions can be delivered via the endoscope without the need for further sedation, treatment or hospital stay.