Becker's ASC Review

13 THOUGHT LEADERSHIP What's upping ASCs' game in 2025? By Francesca Mathewes F rom implementing new technology to upgrading EMR systems, here are three things that ASCs are doing to enhance their performance in 2025. Enhanced cross-training among team members Improving cross-training among physicians, staff and other providers has enabled ASCs to become more nimble and resilient in the face of ongoing staffing shortages. "We also focused heavily on staff cross-training and communication protocols, especially between clinical and administrative teams," Catherine Llavanes, CEO of Sante Health Partners Ambulatory Surgery Center in Los Angeles told Becker's. "is allowed for more flexibility in coverage and faster response to unexpected schedule changes. Not only has this improved operational efficiency, but it's also helped with team morale and patient satisfaction." Utilizing nursing navigators "We have increased the number of nursing navigators helping patients who are directly scheduled for colonoscopies by their primary care physician. Nursing navigators are important to help patients with their prep, to answer questions and to standardize preoperative care. e goal is to improve prep quality, to help patients on anticoagulation — coordinating with PCPs and subspecialists — and to prepare patients who might be on GLP-1 agonists for weight loss with careful instructions about when to hold their medication," Benjamin Levy, MD, a gastroenterologist at the University of Chicago Medicine, told Becker's. "e nursing navigators are a fantastic resource for patients," he continued. "We are excited to expedite endoscopies that are ordered directly by primary care physicians and want to make patient experiences with the prep as wonderful as possible. Nursing navigators can identify any barriers to care such as transportation. Nursing navigators have the potential to improve patient satisfaction and to reduce no-shows/cancellations at ASCs and hospitals." Leveraging data analytics "ASCs leverage analytics to monitor key performance indicators such as OR turnover times, claim denial rates, and days in accounts receivable," Vijay Sudheendra, MD, president of Narragansett Bay Anesthesia, told Becker's. "ese insights help identify inefficiencies and guide targeted strategies for improvement. Benchmarking clinical outcome metrics against industry standards has helped centers track progress and improve patient safety." Incorporating EHR systems may be a key tool for ASCs looking to better leverage their data and analytics. "EHRs have been increasingly implemented to enhance data management, reduce paperwork, and improve productivity. ese systems also provide actionable insights into patient care trends and operational bottlenecks," Dr. Sudheendra said. n The changes ASC leaders want to see in the industry By Francesca Mathewes Four ASC leaders joined Becker's to discuss what they would change about the industry. Editor's note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length. Jeff Roberts. CEO of Telluride (Colo.) Regional Medical Center: Freestanding ASCs should be paid the same as hospital-based ASCs. They provide better care and outcomes and are more patient friendly so should not be penalized. Mitch Lawson. CEO of Subflow (Nashville, Tenn.): Patients move from primary care to surgery to physical therapy, but the communication between providers is often fragmented. Creating a system that connects all parties and shares real-time data would improve coordination, reduce gaps in care and ultimately lead to better outcomes and increased profit margin. Robert Lerma. Administrator of Upper Valley Dialysis Access Surgery Center (Mission, Texas): The one issue I have is parity for higher payment for identical procedures performed in the hospital versus the ASC. I have heard the arguments(s) that the hospital has to incur costs for the indigent. The ASC also provides for the indigent, however, without any reimbursement at the end of the Medicare cost year. The ASC also has to compete for salary and benefits for employees. The ASC saves cost, also has a high-quality value for patient care and shorter turnaround times, yet the ASC lags behind in reimbursement as compared to the hospital. Warrie Layon. CEO of Vault Healthcare Advisors (New York City): My top priority would be to change how complex payer contracting and reimbursement still are. ASCs and their teams provide amazing care, oftentimes more efficiently and affordably than hospitals. Unfortunately, the value provided isn't always reflected in the contracts that are offered. If we could bring more clarity, fairness and consistency to the reimbursement process, especially with the commercial insurers, it would make a big difference in helping ASCs stay financially viable and expand access to affordable, high-quality surgical care for more patients. n

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