About ISOBS

The Institute for Safety in Office-Based Surgery (ISOBS) is a collaborative of healthcare providers dedicated to improving patient safety. It was founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 2009 by clinicians with the support of patients, the general public, and professional organizations because of the exponential growth of surgical procedures performed in the office setting – that is, outside of the hospital or an ambulatory surgery center.

See a brief overview of ISOBS and achievements to date here.

Many reports of adverse patient outcomes, including highly publicized deaths have increased the public’s awareness of the safety issues facing office-based surgery (OBS) today. With an estimated 20 million OBS procedures performed last year, healthcare providers, patients, and the public have long looked for an advocate with the resources, expertise and national standing needed to improve OBS safety and help healthcare providers maintain safe office-based practices.

The mission of the Institute is “to promote patient safety in office-based surgery and to encourage collaboration, scholarship, and physician and patient education.” The Institute aims to accomplish its mission by enabling:

  • Healthcare Providers and office personnel to further their education about basic principles of OBS safety and to take advantage of our Network of OBS Experts.
  • Patients to learn more about safe OBS practices and to obtain the tools needed to understand their healthcare provider’s and facility’s credentials.
  • All concerned individuals, organizations, and partners to participate in the Institute’s educational and research activities and to support its programs and initiatives.

With this goal in mind, the Institute has been able to recruit an superb team of experts consisting of healthcare providers representing many surgical fields involved in OBS, anesthesiologists, and individuals from the business, law and public policy sectors. Over the years, the Institute’s membershave published extensively in this field and have created many innovative tools that clinicians and patients can use to improve safetyand quality of care in the outpatient setting.

Fred E. Shapiro, DO, FASA
Co-Founder

Richard D. Urman, MD, MBA, FASA
Co-Founder

Institute Membership

The Institute membership is free and open to any healthcare provider, professional organization, company or the public who wish to participate in its activities, further its mission, and collaborate on innovative projects to improve the quality and safety of OBS.

Benefits of Membership

  • Access to the Network of OBS Advisors ™
  • Invitation to all Institute-sponsored events.
  • The Institute’s Newsletter and other member-only notifications
  • Discounted admission to our educational offerings and those of our partner organizations
  • Membership card