Becker's ASC Review

32 THOUGHT LEADERSHIP The major forces deciding the future of healthcare By Patsy Newitt D oes the future of healthcare hinge on patients, payers or pro- viders? Eight ASC leaders joined Becker's to discuss the forces shaping healthcare. Editor's note: ese answers were edited lightly for brevity and clarity. Question: What major forces are deciding the future of healthcare? Gabriel Ionescu, MD. Gastroenterologist at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center (New York City): Healthcare will be influenced by the government, especially for a sicker, older population. "Medicare for All" is not going to work because the expectations have been set by all providers and outlets. Private insurers will continue to diversify their business-acquiring practices and other services. Expansion will be good for hospitals. However, they will likely have to spend more on contract work, while private equity will continue private practice consolidation, especially in procedural specialties. Big Pharma will continue to exert pricing power, despite the rise in the discount outlets such as Mark Cuban's company. James Parmele MD. Co-CEO and President of iSpine Clinics (Maple Grove, Minn.): Four areas: 1. High healthcare delivery costs and long-term healthcare infla- tion remain at rates well above [gross domestic product] and wage growth. Ultimately, this continued growth is unsustainable and will lead to new delivery models, and likely, increased government-based intervention. 2. Regional industry consolidation, where large health systems buy up most competition creating regional monopolies and oligopolies. ese systems ultimately drive care into oen high-cost, self-con- tained delivery systems. is consolidation continues to put signifi- cant pressure on lower-cost alternatives and smaller private practices. 3. As U.S. demographics change and more Americans age, we will continue to see an increase in the amount of government-based insurance. Medicare reimbursement and rules will become more important to most practices. 4. Healthcare digitization will continue to be a driving force. Health records will continue to become more portable, allowing patients to more easily access and transfer records. Improvements in interoper- ability will continue to evolve. Telemedicine has improved during the pandemic and will be a standard offering alongside traditional care in most clinics. Gavriel Meron. Chairman and CEO of HyGIeaCare (Austin, Texas): Patients are now healthcare consumers, and improving the patient experience and expanding how healthcare is delivered are top priorities. Innovative technology plays a key role in helping to deliver more value, better outcomes, greater convenience and easier access, which contribute to and help influence patient choice. An example of this is the Hygieacare patient-centric medical service that is designed to expand how healthcare is currently delivered for both the patient and the provider. Our close proximity to the ASC/outpatient facility provides a smooth transition to easier access, less complexity and reduced required time for patients coming for colonoscopies. Lee Holmes. Founder and CEO of DiaSante Health (Henderson- ville, Tenn.): Here is what is shaping healthcare: reimbursement reductions forcing cost containment; technology improvements allowing innovation in surgical approaches, especially minimally invasive (robotics etc.); normalization of increasingly complex proce- dures being done in an ambulatory setting; regulatory reform around what CMS (and thus insurance companies) will reimburse. Deb Meyer, RN. Administrator of Skyline Surgery Center (Po- catello, Idaho): Increased operating costs with decreased resources, due to constant cuts in CMS and insurance procedure payments with the rising cost of staff, materials, medications and all other expenses. It is increasingly difficult to make money while the profit margin is constantly decreasing. If this trend continues, it will be impossible for independent practices and ASCs to survive. ASCs offer a valuable service to the communities they serve by providing high-quality ser- vices at affordable prices. Instead of decreasing funding for services How 1 SCA exec is tackling market challenges By Patsy Newitt F or Deerfield, Ill.-based Surgical Care Affiliates, tackling staffing and consolidation challenges requires a focus on sustainability. Oren Shill is president-elect of California Ambulatory Sur- gery Association's board of directors and group president of Surgical Care Affiliates. He joined Becker's ASC Review to discuss the biggest challenges in his market. Question: What are some of the biggest threats to ASCs in your market? Oren Shill: Shortages of healthcare providers and the ASC workforce is the biggest threat right now. The pandemic created significant staffing challenges for nurses and office staff, and we are also seeing an accelerated trend of practice consolidation, an aging healthcare workforce and changes in how physician specialists are focusing their practice. Physician specialists are looking to enhance sustainability of their practices and see a series of benefits from participat- ing in an integrated care delivery system and value-based care models. That means that ASCs must work hard to build awareness of their benefits, attract physician specialists and nurture the connections to value-oriented primary care doctors and payers to reinforce sitting of patient cases at ASCs. We are also making investments in talent acquisition, leadership programs and training for clinical and support teams to attract and retain top talent with compelling career growth opportunities. n

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