more patients by more doctors," says Pamela
Borello, RN, BS, CNOR, clinical nurse manag-
er of surgical services at St. John Macomb-
Oakland Hospital, Oakland Center in Madison
Heights, Mich.
Since LASIK isn't covered by Medicare or
most private insurers, outpatient centers
would be competing for patients who've
already conveyed a willingness to pay out-of-
pocket costs. The added safety of having the
procedure done in an environment that
requires a higher level of sterility could be a
selling point.
"I think [accredited] ASCs are the safest
place to do LASIK, versus a clinic or a doc-
tor's office," says Hunter Newsom, MD,
founder of the Newsom Eye & Laser Center in
Tampa and Sebring, Fla. "I like being able to
say I have an OR, I know it's following these
safety guidelines, and there's an independent
person verifying that."
Increasing the cash-pay patient population by
adding LASIK is an intriguing idea, acknowl-
edges a facility chief on the West Coast.
"It would increase our versatility and give us
a higher potential for profits," adds the direc-
tor of nursing at an East Coast surgery center.
Lens options
Nearly all respondents have embraced the
improving technology surrounding intraocular
