Becker's ASC Review

September/October 2022 Issue of Becker's ASC Review

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39 THOUGHT LEADERSHIP Unified staff, engagement propel California ASC By Patsy Newitt For the Central California Endoscopy Center in Fresno, success hinges on a close-knit staff. Cindy Vasquez, RN, administrator of Central California Endoscopy Center in Fresno, spoke with Becker's about how her staff's satisfaction and culture give her hope for the future of ASCs. Editor's note: This interview was edited lightly for clarity and brevity. Question: What signs point to a bright future for ASCs? Cindy Vasquez: There are a couple of points that quickly come to mind when I think of ASC success — the first is staff satisfaction. When I observe my team's interactions and the unified culture that they have built, I know our center has a very bright future. This month we will be celebrating 20 years of patient care for the center, and the last two years have proven that a unified staff with a common goal can overcome any set of hurdles. The second is an engaged team of physicians. Our center has 18 physicians who take pride in calling this ASC their home. They are invested in the success of the center as much as any of the administrative team. Being engaged in meetings and offering suggestions to improve processes make for ASC success. Q: What is ASCs' biggest enemy in providing patient care? CV: Appropriate and frequent communication with the patient and family members has been our greatest challenge in recent years. Prior to COVID-19, family members were asked to remain in the center throughout the patient's visit in order to ensure that communication was had with the patient and family members every step of the way. Not allowing for the family members to be at the bedside made for increased patient anxieties, suboptimal communication with family members and instructions less understood. Text messaging helps with those that are tech savvy, but there is still a population that requires more direct communication. Unfortunately, they are often not available to communicate with. We look forward to bringing our family members back into the center soon. n Bruce Cohen, MD. CEO of OrthoCarolina (Charlotte, N.C.): We are strategically planning to grow our footprint regionally. We continue to look for opportunities that complement our current structure and coverage. A significant focus is on the ability to deliver value-based care and manage musculoskeletal population health. is requires regional growth and coordination. We also continue to grow our current practices to meet the needs of the communities that we currently serve. Finally, we are focusing on increasing our ambulatory surgery access and capacity and optimizing this critical service line. Frank Aluisio, MD. Physician president of EmergeOrtho (Durham, N.C.): I don't think we'll add any other large groups because we want to maintain a flexible and nimble leadership. If we add too many other groups, you can have too large of a leadership and succumb to paralysis by overanalysis. We want to be able to stay ahead of the curve and be able to make quick decisions. I see us potentially adding small groups into the fold without diluting leadership and also managing small groups either alone or in conjunction with other large groups. North Carolina is a certificate-of-need state, so you can't open ASCs easily. ere have been attempts over the past decade to get rid of CON legislation, so hopefully something will change soon. If that happens, we'll certainly expand into more ASCs. But right now we plan on doing a lot of our expansion through orthopedic urgent care and physical therapy facilities. J. Bryan Williamson, MD. Medical Director of OrthoLoneStar (Houston): We are planning to grow and expand access to our services through opening additional sites of service, bringing on new providers, expanding into adjacent geographies and adding integrated treatment options. We will launch orthopedic bundles and institute value-based pathways. We plan to create a workplace environment for our employees and orthopedic partners that puts the patients' interests first . n Here's what ASC leaders love most about their jobs By Armani Washington Seven ASC leaders connected with Becker's to discuss what they love most about their ASC jobs. Question: What do you love the most about your job? Editor's note: ese responses were edited lightly for clarity and length. Celia Smith, BSN, RN. Administrator and Director of Nursing at the Center for Surgery & Advanced erapeutics (Spring, Texas): I value my team. e team's motivation, initiative and drive has been pivotal to achieving our organization's goals. Sandy Berreth, RN. Administrator of Foothill Surgery Center Sansum Clinic (Santa Barbara, Calif.): e job is hard and never-ending. e staff are what bring joy and sorrow, and the patient's the same. Michael Grant. Administrator of Surgery Center of Amarillo (Texas): • Co-workers: We have phenomenal staff at our facility from the business office to the operating room to pre-op and recovery. We have really tried to focus on hiring the best of the best and just genuinely positive, upliing people and it makes work fun. ere are definitely still some long and challenging days like any place, but I am always amazed by the work ethic and attitude of all of our staff. Working with them each day is definitely the best part of my job.

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