Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1523565
12 PRACTICE MANAGEMENT Precision analytics 'crucial' for driving clinical, financial performance in spine COEs By Carly Behm e next phase of outpatient spine care could weigh on one practice model — the Center of Excellence. e designation, which has become more prominent in the spine space, provides a multidisciplinary approach to care that offers treatments from pain management, surgery, and lifestyle coaching. Hospitals are increasingly considering Centers of Excellence designations and refining spine care protocols. Centers of Excellence can attract more spine procedures that are moving outpatient, but ASCs are also seeking Center of Excellence designations and direct- to-employer contracting. For ASCs, the designation can help gather crucial data that can be beneficial to clinical and financial successes. "As the healthcare landscape is pushing toward an eventual value- based care model (and potential smaller population-based models), outpatient surgery centers need to better harness data and analytics," said Philip Louie, MD, of Tacoma, Wash.-based Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. "Precision analytics and time-driven activity- based costing will be crucial for driving clinical and financial performance in these outpatient surgery programs." As more spine care shis to outpatient settings, data harnessing and analytics becomes increasingly streamlined, and investment in innovation improves outcomes. "ese outpatient programs will become even more renowned and serve as preferred destinations. us, potentially earning additional key accreditations that will grow these programs and advance patient surgical care," Dr. Louie said. n Orthopedic group deals accelerate in 2023: Report By Carly Behm O rthopedic physician groups were among specialties with a higher volume of merger and acquisition deals in 2023, according to VMG Health's 2024 Healthcare M&A Report. There were 36 orthopedic group deals in 2023, the May 7 report said. Internal medicine saw 46 deals, ophthalmology saw 47 deals, and dental groups eclipsed all specialties with 180 deals. In the ASC space orthopedic deals remained prominent in 2023 — a year when there weren't any notable megamergers, the report said. The deals highlighted included United Musculoskeletal Partners' acquisitions of Fort Worth, Texas-based All-Star Orthopaedics and Carrollton-based OrthoTexas; Surgery Partners' acquisition of San Ramon, Calif.-based NorCal Orthopedic Surgery Center and TriasMD's acquisition of Walnut Creek, Calif.- based Pinnacle Surgery Center. The report also outlined key ASC industry trends including high-acuity case migration, private equity investment and lower-middle-market level consolidation. n Rebound Orthopedics & Neurosurgery adds bundled payments By Carly Behm V ancouver, Wash.-based Rebound Orthopedics & Neurosurgery partnered with HealthME for bundled payments. The practice will use HealthMe to offer different bundled payment options for orthopedic and neurosurgical care separate from an in-network insurance plan, according to a June 4 news release shared with Becker's. Bundled payments will be available for office visits, imaging, procedures and physical and hand therapy. Surgery package pricing will be available upon request. n