Becker's ASC Review

September/October 2022 Issue of Becker's ASC Review

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30 THOUGHT LEADERSHIP ASCs operating at 'breakneck' speed to compete with HOPD staffing By Armani Washington S andra Berreth, RN, director of the Foothill Surgery Center at Sansum Clinic in Santa Barbara, Calif., joined Becker's to discuss the solutions to the biggest challenges in ASCs. Editor's note: is piece was edited lightly for clarity and length. Question: What are the solutions to the biggest challenges you're seeing for ASCs today? Sandra Berreth: Truthfully, if I had the answer I would be the most sought out person in the ASC industry. Here are the challenges that I hear every day from ASC managers: staffing, staffing and staffing. Do you see a trend? … An ASC cannot do anything without staff. Employees are registered nurses (these are talented people who are well-trained to deliver a superior product on a daily basis); surgical technologists (again, these wonderfully talented people, just like the nurse, can never have a bad day, make a mistake or just be tired). Surgeons expect surgical technologists to know their every move; in fact, sometimes the surgeons depend on that knowledge. ere's also materials management (these folks are the people that have to get what everyone wants when they want it.) Next is the sterile processing department. Infection control is their middle name. … If they make a mistake, infection control is at risk, and with ASCs having less than 1 percent infection reports, these people have a lot to live up to. ere's also office personnel and support staff. Just think, they have to greet the patient at what might be one of the scariest moments of a person's life. ey are oen the first visual impression of the entire organization; it is up to them to be welcoming and friendly while asking for signatures, lots of signatures and … deductibles and copays. All healthcare personnel are being challenged to be better and do more. It doesn't matter if you are in an ASC (where it is hard work) or teaching in a major medical center. No one wants to do the hardest, most difficult jobs there are, and ASC personnel are expected to perform daily with only thanks from their administration. ASCs cannot compete with hospital wages, as our reimbursement is less than 50 percent of what a hospital outpatient department reimbursement is. Here is the issue: HOPDs offer the same hours as the ASC, with the added hospital benefits and increased wages. How can ASCs compete with that? Simply, we can't, so every day, we work at breakneck speed and efficiency, employing everything we know to maintain the cleanest environment and safest working conditions, and above all, we keep the patient safe, with the highest patient satisfaction rate in the industry. n How 1 company attracts talented employees despite staffing shortages By Mariah Muhammad R onjon Paul, MD, serves as a spine surgeon and as chair of the spine surgery department at Naperville, Ill.-based Duly Health and Care. Question: What issues are you spending most of your time on today? Dr. Ronjon Paul: We believe our best medicine is practiced when physicians work collaboratively in an environment where mutual respect is paramount and trusting collegiality is the norm. Staying open, honest and authentic sounds simple, but it must be deliberate and organic. Creating this environment is a priority because it's where I enjoy spending my time. Over the years, I've learned that organizations have difficulty overcoming challenges without a great culture. At Duly, I believe our culture fosters growth. Q: What are your top challenges and how will they change over the next 12 months? RP: The healthcare landscape regionally and nationally is very fluid. Payers, hospital systems and providers are consolidating in creative ways. Fortunately, we have a talented team working hard to navigate those challenges. I believe we are in a very strong and secure place and will continue the momentum over the next 12 months and beyond. Q: How are you thinking about investments and growth in the next two years? RP: We believe people are important and investing in them is a priority. As an organization, we've invested in people and specialties (physicians and clinical staff) as well as technologies (i.e., our CEC CT scanner, robotics for urologic and general surgery) to expand access to high-quality, lower-cost care for patients. We plan to invest in novel spine-related technologies as well. Q: What are you most excited about right now? RP: I have several very innovative young partners who are driving transformational procedures in the outpatient arena as well as the complex spine. They are doing some amazing things with real value to our patients. I'm enjoying watching them grow as surgeons. I also believe our group's ability to attract such talent is a key part of the organization's prosperity. n

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