Becker's ASC Review

14 ASC MANAGEMENT Meet the Florida ASC administrator who 'exceeds all expectations' By Patsy Newitt T he administrator of Pensacola-based North Florida Surgical Center, Jessica Sorsby, has only held her position since July 2020 — but her colleagues say she already has made distinct and sustainable improve- ments in her center's revenue generation and work culture. "ere is only a handful of staff you will hire in a career that exceeds all expectations and be- comes an exceptionally high-level leader such as Jessica has become," anesthesiologist and pain medicine specialist Jeff Buchalter, MD, told Becker's ASC Review. In her short tenure at multispecialty North Florida Surgical Center, Ms. Sorsby already has revamped its infrastructure through cost-saving measures and revenue-generating projects, leading to a "revitalization of the center," Dr. Buchalter said. "In less than a year, she has restructured the billing, coding and collections systems, obtained hospital outpatient status during the pandemic, recruited multiple new providers, enhanced the [accreditation] status of the ASC and recently started a total joint service," Dr. Buchalter said. Ms. Sorsby also created a quality service em- ployee reward program to recognize workers — which Dr. Buchalter said has gained the respect and commitment of her staff. Before joining North Florida Surgical Center, Ms. Sorsby served for six years in the United States Air Force as a medical assistant in family practice, labor and delivery and in the neonatal intensive care unit, according to her LinkedIn. Dr. Buchalter recruited Ms. Sorsby from a front desk position in one of his early practices, he said. She then was promoted to senior admin- istrator of what became a $60 million practice. Aer that practice was sold to a private equity group, she became administrator of the North Florida Surgical Center. According to Dr. Buchalter and other colleagues, Ms. Sorsby has become an integral part of every healthcare company at which she has worked. n UnitedHealth Group's plan to drive more surgeries to ASCs By Laura Dyrda U nitedHealth Group made three long-term commitments as part of its sustainability efforts, including pushing more surgeries to ASCs, according to a June 15 company report. UnitedHealth Group aims to have more than 55 percent of its mem- bers' outpatient surgeries and radiology services delivered at high quality, cost-efficient sites of care by 2030, which often means directing patients to ASCs. In 2019, the company reported 47 percent of outpatient surgeries and radiology services were performed at high-quality, cost-effective settings. UnitedHealth Group said it aims to meet its goal by: • Providing physicians with point-of-care tools for shared decision- making about care delivery • Guiding patients to low-cost care settings • Developing digital tools for members to identify care sites that meet quality and cost standards Conducting more joint replacements in ASCs for commercially insured patients could save $20 billion in the next decade and lead to 500,000 fewer hospitalizations per year, the report stated. And shifting diagnostic tests from the hospital outpatient department to physician offices or standalone centers could save members $300 per test and lower spending 62 percent, according to the report. OptumCare, the division of UnitedHealth Group's Optum that provides physician services, has 53,000 employed and aligned physicians who treat 20 million patients annually. UnitedHealth Group also said it's committed to closing 600 million gaps in care for members by the end of 2025 and ensuring 85 percent of members receive preventive care annually by 2030. n Optum building $7M MOB, ASC in Indiana By Alan Condon O ptum is developing a $7 million facility in Muncie, Ind., that will include a surgery center and medical offices for multiple spe- cialties, according to Inside Indiana Business. The project's first phase is a 25,000-square-foot facility, owned by Mun- cie Investors, who will lease the space to Optum and a subsidiary. The facility will join two American Health Network/Optum medical offices in the area: family practice physician offices and an eye clinic. The medical office building will comprise specialists in orthopedic sur- gery, podiatry, oncology, gastroenterology and ophthalmology. Construction will begin this spring and wrap up in spring 2022. n

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