Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/170052
22 Sign up for the FREE Becker's ASC Review E-Weekly at www.beckersasc.com or call (800) 417-2035 5. Use clinical data in ad campaigns. Surgery centers that already have a marketing budget can use their quality and patient satisfaction data in marketing campaigns. Patients and referrals sources will respond to the hard numbers better than generic tag lines about the quality of your center. "If they are collecting data out there, use the same data in advertising," says Mr. Abrams. "When patients need a procedure, they ask friends and people they know in the medical profession where they should go. These people search their memories for what they've heard, and if the ASC has made a compelling case about delivering a superior product — either patient experience or clinical outcome — that puts them in the running whereas they might not have been in the past." Surgery centers can post this data on their website and social media outlets for direct-to-consumer marketing. "ASCs need to look at the model that has been created for LASIK and plastic surgery," says Mr. Abrams. "These are private pay models of care where providers have to win the hearts and minds of referral sources and direct-to-consumer advertisers to position themselves in the running for the business." 6. Encourage surgeons to bring in all possible cases. For various reasons, surgeons don't always bring all possible cases to the surgery center. They might have a day at the hospital and schedule outpatient cases there for convenience, or their block times weren't convenient for the patient. Figure out whether surgeons are bringing in all possible cases and encourage them to do so. "If the surgeons aren't fully utilized, what can you do to bring in more business?" says Mr. Abrams. Sometimes, surgeons leave scheduling up to the office managers who are more comfortable with scheduling at the hospital. Find a way to make scheduling easier for them at the ASC and build a foundation for a longlasting relationship with those managers. 7. Add new procedures. Expand the number of specialties and types of cases possible at the ASC. This can be done without spending too much money on expensive new equipment by finding procedures related to those already performed at the ASC. For example, bring in interventional pain management physicians to ASCs where orthopedic or spine cases are already performed. "There may be certain kinds of procedures that surgeons have always done in the inpatient setting, but now have been proven safe in the outpatient setting as well," says Mr. Abrams. "If possible, invest in new equipment to expand the portfolio of procedures surgeons can do." Work with current physicians to see if there are any procedures they could perform in the outpatient surgery center with the right technology and support team. 8. Analyze referral sources. Conduct an analysis of referral sources to examine where referrals are coming from. Count all referrals from each referring physician and figure out whether you are receiving 100 percent of their cases. "If you aren't receiving all their cases, figure out what you need to do to win a larger share of their referrals," says Mr. Abrams. "There may be situations where it makes sense to meet with and talk with the physicians about the experience and quality of your work at the center. You are building a relationship to assure the referral source that you will do a good job and are superior to other places in the market." When you find a referral source that abruptly stops sending patients to the center, find out what put them off. "Anything you can do to correct that situation is a step in the right direction," says Mr. Abrams." n Contact Laura Miller at lmiller@beckershealthcare.com. register today! 11th Annual Orthopedic, Spine & Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference June 13-15, 2013 • Chicago Keynotes: Mike Krzyzweski (Coach K), former basketball player and head coach at Duke University; Brad Gilbert, former professional tennis player, TV tennis commentator, author and tennis coach; Geoff Colvin, senior editor-at-large for Fortune Magazine and author of Talent is Overrated; Forrest Sawyer, TV journalist and entrepreneur in innovative healthcare and founder of FreeFall Productions 97 sessions, 52 physician leaders speaking and 130 speakers in total. To register or receive a brochure, call 800-417-2035. For information on sponsorship and exhibits, call Jessica Cole at (800) 417-2035.