Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1472295
40 ASC The competitive edge of independent ASCs By Patsy Newitt I ndependent ASCs have an edge in the market as procedures increasingly migrate to the outpatient setting, ac- cording to Doug Geinzer, founder and president of Las Vegas-based High Per- formance Providers. High Performance Providers works with self-funded health plans, third-party ad- ministrators and consultants on bundled case rates. Mr. Geinzer joined Becker's to discuss where ASCs stand in the healthcare industry and which ASCs will win in their market. Editor's note: This interview was edited lightly for length and clarity. Question: Which ASCs will win in their market in the next 5 years? Doug Geinzer: Independently owned, single-specialty [ASCs] will have a com- petitive edge as more institutional buyers of healthcare realize the cost savings of moving cases out of the hospital setting and into ASCs. The quality gains will be- come apparent from the staffing models provided by these specialty surgery cen- ters, offering surgeons more autonomy and the ability to develop a true team en- vironment, not one assigned to them by hospital administration. Q: Describe ASCs' role in the healthcare landscape DG: ASCs will continue to play a larger role in the delivery of healthcare. As health plans realize the savings found in [not having to pay a hospital] facility fee and the fact that most surgeries do not need to be done in a hospital, more care will be delivered in the ASC. Healthcare leaders will continue to realize the value the oper- ating room team plays in the overall qual- ity, and surgeons will realize the increase in not only their quality scores, but patient satisfaction scores due to the quality and tenure of the ASC OR team. n Most, least desirable states to open ASCs By Riz Hatton T exas is potentially the best state to open an ASC, while New Jersey and other states fall short. e Southern ASC market has been a hot spot for growth. ey earn the most revenue in the country and perform the most cases annually. "Physician-owned or operated ASCs in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Arkansas have been the result of robust entrepre- neurial growth over the years coupled with very little restraints of certificate of need statutes and regulatory oversight," Stewart Burchett, executive director of Oklahoma Lithotripter Associates and Oklahoma Kidney Stone Center in Oklahoma City, told Becker's on March 29. "e result early on was a plethora of ASCs as outpatient surgery grew in popularity, and many physician-owned entities were built in areas one would never have imagined." In July, personal finance website Walle- tHub assessed which states are the best and worst places to start a business. It compared each state's business environ- ment, access to resources and business cost using 28 metrics. WalletHub indicated Texas is the best state to start a business. ree other Southern states — Georgia, Florida and North Carolina — were in the top 10 in the same category. e Northeastern market faces a variety of challenges hindering ASC growth. Most of the region's states have certifi- cate of need policies, which require phy- sicians and owners to obtain approval to open or expand ASCs. "e New England market for ASCs is a little bit of a mixed bag. Most of the New England states have a certificate of need or determination of need require- ment to open an ASC. ough this is not different from some other markets nationally, the regulations have led to fewer ASCs per capita than anywhere else in the country," Prashanth Bala, vice president of ASC operations at Shields Health Care Group in Quincy, Mass., told Becker's on March 29. "Additionally, most commercial payers are still learn- ing the clinical and economic benefits of ASCs for patients. e payer land- scape is restricted with a number of the national payers having limited covered lives in the area." New Jersey was WalletHub's pick for the worst place to start a business. ree other Northeastern states — Connecti- cut, Rhode Island and Delaware — were also considered some of the worst states for that purpose. e best states to open a business, ac- cording to WalletHub: 1. Texas 2. Georgia 3. California 4. Florida 5. Idaho 6. Utah 7. Colorado 8. North Dakota 9. North Carolina 10. Massachusetts e worst states to open a business: 1. New Jersey 2. Connecticut 3. Rhode Island 4. West Virginia 5. Wyoming 6. Alaska 7. Missouri 8. Pennsylvania 9. Delaware 10. Virginia n