Becker's ASC Review

32 Thought Leadership Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates COO explains patient collections & ASC growth By Rachel Popa N ew technology will spur ASC growth, according to Pamela Isabel, COO of Woodholme Gastroenterol- ogy Associates, which operates endoscopy centers and GI practices in the Baltimore area. Here, Ms. Isabel shares her insight on ASC trends and growth opportunities. Question: What is the biggest opportunity for growth you see for ASCs in the next 10 years? As an ASC leader, how do you hope to capitalize on growth opportunities? Pamela Isabel: The opportunities for ASCs will continue to grow at an accelerated pace. Technology is becoming more amenable to the outpatient setting, which is the preferred lo- cation for medical care. Patients and their families enjoy the accessibility and efficiency of an ASC over the complexity of receiving care in an inpatient setting. As part of our strate- gic planning process, we continually seek opportunities to expand the breadth and depth of our services. Q: What is your ASC's strategy for patient collections? PI: Our approach to patient collections is multifaceted, but it begins with the first encounter with the patient. We start with the full set of demographic and insurance informa- tion. This information is verified prior to the patient's visit. As the patient's financial responsibility has grown over the past few years, so has the need to educate patients prior to the delivery of services. We use eligibility verification and cost estimator services provided by our EHR – gGastro. We educate patients that they must pay their co-payments at the time of service. We retain credit cards for patients that require payment plans. We also promote electronic pay- ments through our EHR-provided patient portal. We have had excellent acceptance of these payment methods from our patients. We also work closely with our insurance carriers to facilitate speedy payment arrangements. With operations working hand in hand with the financial department, we are able to maintain a positive financial po- sition. Having and utilizing the array of electronic resources from the EHR, the payers and the banks facilitates the patient collection process. Q: How do you budget for and select new technologies for your ASC? PI: We utilize a team approach to the selection of new technologies. Our ASC management works closely with the physicians to identify, select and budget for new technology. We consider the needs of our patients and our desire to pro- vide as full array of medical care in our ASC as is possible. Our financial approach ranges from outright purchase to leasing of new equipment. We desire to keep our ASC up to date for both our providers and our patients.n Core concepts for ASC growth, success today: Q&A with Merritt Healthcare's Matt Searles By Laura Dyrda M att Searles, partner at Merritt Healthcare, discusses the big trends and opportunities in the ASC field today. Question: What are the most im- portant trends you're seeing in the ASC field today? Matt Searles: e big trends I'm seeing include tightening margins due to the out- paced growth of costs over reimbursements, increasing percentage of government payers and the need for scale caused by the transition to alternative payments models. I'm also seeing trends towards higher acuity cases in ASCs continue (cardiology, joints, etc). Q: What are the key challenges keeping ASC administra- tors up at night? MS: Compliance and safety should always be the top concern. Keeping up with regulations/requirements at both the federal and state levels has and will continue to be a challenge. Finally, integrating into the continu- um of care in order to transition to alternative payments models. Q: What are the top one or two solutions to the big chal- lenges you're seeing for ASCs today? MS: Partnership with strong strategic management teams or systems that can provide support and integration across the continuum of care. Q: How do you see the ASC and outpatient surgery arena changing in the next 18 to 24 months? What is driving that change? MS: Consolidation and alignment will continue as providers seek to strengthen their businesses in the face of the trends and challenges in the industry. Q: Where is the best opportunity for ASCs to thrive in the future? What do they need to do today to set a solid foun- dation for success? MS: Strong management, continued expansion into higher acuity cases and a focus in maintaining the same high quality/low cost services that have defined the ASC industry to date. n

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