Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/170043
ASC Turnarounds: Ideas to Improve Performance Smith. "It is additional business and it's becoming a significant part of our surgeons' practices." 4. Contact big businesses for partnerships. As large hospitals have in the past, some surgery centers are now seeking partnerships with large businesses to provide care. ASCs can remove third party payors from the equation by inking deals with local companies to provide medical care for a set cost, which must be lower than they are able to achieve elsewhere. "We are reaching out directly to large employer groups going around the third party payors, and we plan to continue with that strategy," says Dr. Smith. "We are able to carve out their care. More companies are interested in these carve out arrangements where they deal with us directly. The insurance companies aren't always acting in the best interest of large employers and we have basically redirected the patients to us, instead of the expensive hospitals where insurance companies want to funnel them." 11 and hospitals to explore new kinds of partnerships," says Mr. Wipfler. "Our enterprise must be aligned with other physician groups and hospitals to continue to thrive. Hospitals need specialists, and since ASCs cater to specialties we are all affected." Linda Ruterbories 6. Plug into referral sources. Engaging primary care physicians and other referral sources around the community has become exceedingly important. However, traditional roads of communication may be closed as more primary care providers become hospital employees. "We see hospitals owning more of the primary care physicians, which forces us to find new ways to partner with the hospital," says Mr. Wipfler. "There are still a number of independent practices, but they are moving toward ACOs and as a result trying in some instances to bring specialists in-house so they are under their control. We need to work on partnership strategies with these providers so they aren't able to replace us." OA Centers for Orthopaedics has also reached out to local businesses seeking partnerships, but change is sometimes hard to come by. Additionally, more referrals are shifting from primary care and word-of-mouth to other sources who dictate care settings. "We are finding an interesting problem because even though these businesses have talked for years about driving costs down, they are hesitant to make necessary changes," says John Wipfler, CEO of OA Centers for Orthopaedics. "As an example, they have been slow to step up and modifying their benefit structure to create incentives for employees to use preferred providers like ASCs. It is happening but at a slow pace. As reform efforts accelerate we anticipate a faster pace of engagement from employers. Creating incentives to move surgery from hospital settings to ASCs is such an easy way to create significant savings without compromising quality." John Wipfler "Historically our patient volume came from happy friends and families, but now more insurance companies and employers are designing plans that go to preferred providers," says Mr. Wipfler. "ASCs need to make sure they are aligned within the new structure or positioning themselves to partner with who controls the patients." 5. Figure out how to fit into new payment models. Accountable care organizations, bundled payments and other risk sharing arrangements are entering into markets across the United States. "You have to take a look at what is happening in your part of the country," says Mr. Wipfler. "For us, there is a lot of consolidation between physician practices and hospitals as the hospitals are cornering a lot of the provider market. We are trying to position ourselves for changes and new payment models that come with healthcare reform, which is pushing people to create ACOs and medical home models. You don't want to be cut off from referral sources." OA Centers for Orthopaedics has aligned with hospital partners and other providers in the community to position itself as a leader in orthopedic care. "Most providers are engaged in conversations with other physician groups, healthcare systems 7. Consolidate independent physicians. Just as hospitals are consolidating into health systems, physician practices are now becoming part of larger physician organizations and health systems. OA Centers for Orthopaedics is a founding member of the only specialty independent physician association in their region, which includes 15 different specialties. Dr. Keith Smith "Our intention with the IPA is to be able to plug in and join an ACO in any community," he says. "We can provide 'one-stop shopping' for a coordinated set of specialty services. We are the solution to specialty medical care. That has created a lot of interest and I think holds significant promise as a model." Providers all need to use data to show how using lower site of service can save the system and payors a lot of money. Moving cases from a tertiary care hospital to a community hospital is a significant savings for payors, be they insurers, government, self insured businesses or patients. It generates even more savings to move cases from hospitals to ambulatory settings. 8. Educate patients and other providers on ASCs. Surgery center administrators are very invested in the ASC industry and understand the potential for increased quality and decreased cost; however, in many communities, patients and even other providers don't understand their benefits. "Surgery centers need to do a better job of educating people about the huge cost savings and quality benefit of moving into ambulatory surgery center settings," says Ms. Ruterbories. "For ASCs, it's about continuing to show that they are a lower cost site for service and high quality outcomes."