Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1230114
26 Thought Leadership The No. 1 opportunity for ASC growth: 3 insights from Dr. Philip Schneider By Rachel Popa P hilip L. Schneider, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon practicing at the Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics in Chevy Chase, Md. Here, he shares his thoughts on the growth in ASCs. Note: Responses have been lightly edited for style and clarity. Question: What is the No. 1 opportunity you see for ASC growth? Dr. Philip Schneider: A key growth area in the ASC setting will be the ability to perform more complex surgeries, such as hip replacements, knee replacements and shoulder replacements, as well as anterior cervi- cal discectomy and fusion, cervical disc arthroplasty, lumbar fusion and some interspinous process fixation procedures. e ASC at which I operate is placing a major focus on complex surgeries, and our case volume is increasing rapidly in this area. is increase is fueled by Medicare changes from inpatient to outpatient sta- tus for these procedures, and it's also becoming more feasible to take on complex surgeries in the ASC setting with better multimodal analgesia and perioperative preparation. Q: What do you think could impede ASC growth? PS: Not all complex procedures should be done in an ASC. If the push toward outpatient surgery is too aggressive, it is possible that complica- tion rates, emergency department visits and inpatient admissions could increase, reflecting negatively on ASCs as a whole. While this is not the case currently, we need to be mindful of this and make good, rational decisions on our site of service to continue steady growth. Q: Are there any steps you're taking at your ASC to capital- ize on trends or protect from potential threats? PS: At the ASC in which I operate, we are investing in capital equip- ment to enable more complex surgeries. We have also developed stan- dardized protocols to manage these patients, including preoperative assessment, home visits, perioperative pain and physical therapy pro- tocols, as well as postoperative management. We will also be instituting patient-reported outcomes for the ASC patients. n HFAP provides: • Trusted, recognized programs for ASC accreditation with or without Medicare deemed status. • Accreditation for clinical laboratories. • Certification for Joint Replacement programs and Compounding Pharmaceuticals. • Responsive, accessible, cost-effective customer support. LEARN MORE: WWW.HFAP.ORG CONTACT US: 312.920.7383 INFO@HFAP.ORG CELEBRATING 75 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE IN HEALTHCARE ACCREDITATION MedPAC recommends cutting 2.8% surgery center reimbursement increase By Eric Oliver T he Medicare Payment Advisory Commission plans to rec- ommend CMS eliminate a 2.8 percent pay increase for surgery centers in its report to Congress March 13, citing issues around surgery center finances, Bloomberg Law reports. Surgery centers don't provide cost data to CMS. Without that data, MedPAC will argue it can't document growth over time, determine profit margins or evaluate the adequacy of Medi- care payments. Commission Chairman Francis Crosson said, "It's very difficult for this commission to make a recommendation for increased payments" without knowing what surgery centers pay for drugs, medical supplies, equipment, labor, building expenses and professional services. MedPAC is also recommending CMS require surgery centers to submit cost data going forward. n