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22 Thought Leadership Top priorities for ASC leaders today and in 2021: 7 key trends By Laura Dyrda The outlook for ASCs is bright despite challenges brought on by the pandemic this year. ASC owners, operators and industry leaders gathered for the Becker's Healthcare ASC Virtual Event Sept. 30 to Oct. 2. The first part of the event included 10 sessions with speak- ers outlining the big opportunities for outpatient surgery centers to thrive in the next year. Here are seven takeaways from Part I: 1. The top priority for ASCs right now is ensuring their centers are following the latest pandemic guidelines and keeping their patients and staff safe. The COVID-19 pan- demic hasn't really created any new trends for ASCs. Rather, it has supercharged existing trends. The movement of out- patient procedures to ASCs has been here for a while. Now it's about scaling total joint replacement procedures and making sure appropriate transfer agreements and accredi- tations are in place. 2. The adoption of robots is accelerating in the spine and total joints fields. Emerging surgeons want to work with the latest technology on the market. Although robots can be expensive investments, ASCs will need to invest in the tech- nology to attract the next generation of top surgeons. 3. The future looks bright for ASCs. Many ASC administra- tors have used the pandemic to drill down policies and focus on the safety of patients and staff. One benefit for the industry is the ability to highlight the cost, efficiency and safety of procedures performed at ASCs. More patients may request treatment at ASCs in the future after reaping these benefits with procedures done during the pandemic. 4. Orthopedic and spine surgeons continue to experience pushback from payers to taking more complex procedures to the ASC. Despite CMS' approval of total knees and sev- eral spine procedures, orthopedic surgeons report contin- ued roadblocks from insurance companies in some markets with unsustainably low pay rates. If the pay rate won't cover a procedure in the ASC, surgeons are taking them back to the hospital. 5. Burnout and engagement are on two extreme ends of a continuum, which may ebb and flow for healthcare professionals. Leadership and a healthcare organization's culture play a huge role in where team members sit on this spectrum. To promote a culture of engagement, lead- ers must ensure they are addressing employees' physical, mental, emotional and financial needs. Leaders must also foster a sense of teamwork and shared vision to promote this culture. 6. A great administrator faces a crisis head-on and is open and transparent with the team. These leaders must be com- fortable with saying "I don't know" in the face of uncertainty and be able to admit when they make a mistake. Doing so brings a crucial human element to crisis response efforts and reminds everyone that they are in this together. 7. With the expansion of remote care amid COVID-19, gastroenterologists have seen an increase in demand for colonoscopy alternatives, such as fecal immunochemical testing. Whether the current demand for these services will persist beyond the pandemic is still up for debate. n AAAHC names new board leaders By Carly Behm T he Accreditation Association for Ambu- latory Health Care named new officers and three elected positions to its board of directors for 2021, according to a Nov. 10 press release. ree new board leaders assumed their roles Nov. 15: 1. Timothy Peterson, MD, board chair 2. Ira Cheifetz, DMD, immediate past board chair 3. Edwin Slade, DMD, board chair-elect "Every member of the board shares a common goal of strengthening patient safety and qual- ity improvement in ambulatory organizations through accreditation," Dr. Peterson said in the release. "During our tenure, we will dedi- cate our efforts to demonstrating the value of accreditation and its direct impact on patient safety and quality improvement throughout the 1,095 days of the accreditation term." David Shapiro, MD, will continue his two-year term as AAAHC secretary and treasurer. ree directors who were elected also started their positions Nov. 15: 1. Karen Connolly, RN 2. Joy Himmel, RN 3. Mark Mandell-Brown, MD "Our elected board members are an integral part of our organization's governance, and each brings extensive leadership experience thanks to years of independent practice and surveying," Noel Adachi, president and CEO of AAAHC, said in the release. "Every board member is committed to keeping the '1095 Strong' philosophy top of mind. We appreci- ate their dedication to finding new, innovative ways to lead healthcare organizations in pro- viding high-quality care for accreditation." n