Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/274954
22 Operational Efficiency Q: how can ASCs work with physician re- cruiters to their advantage? WM: For anyone who has attempted to recruit surgeons, you understand how time consuming it can be and the many rejections, obstacles and expectations that accompany the process. Invest- ments in professional recruiters are often struck from the planning process for cost concerns, without considering top line revenue generation, speed to results, increased bottom line, and abil- ity for operational leaders to remain focused on strengthening their team and improving their service. These professionals are highly skilled in opening doors and developing a qualified target list. They provide the intense, on the ground effort required to ensure your facility is customer facing and not missing any opportunities for growth. At SCA, we invested in a team of professional recruiters and created a focused training and management pro- gram to enhance their success. These recruiters are assigned to individual facilities and act as part of the facility's growth team. Q: how can ASC leaders use market tools to identify the best strategy for physician recruitment in their area? WM: ASC leaders should routinely undergo stra- tegic planning processes to develop their strategy and take into consideration all internal and exter- nal impacts on their ability to successfully recruit new physicians. Completing a SWOT analysis re- quires placing your facility in front of the mirror and asking "What are my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats?" This allows you to enhance your value proposition to potential phy- sicians and highlights areas of improvement you may need to address. Once you have developed your internal strategy, market tools are available to assist ASC leaders in the process of developing the recruitment strategy. HealthLeaders-Interstudy (HLI) reports provide data on the overall market picture and listings of competitive facilities and physicians can be obtained from your local or state organiza- tions. Additionally, internet search engines, secret shopping, and networking are effective in provid- ing useful information. At SCA, we utilize our proprietary tools, includ- ing MDetective™ and ECO System™, to identify physicians in a given market and group them based on case profitability. This enables us to take a holistic view of the market and assists in devel- oping our strategy. Q: Aside from outstanding patient care, how can ASCs position themselves as an attractive option for physicians? WM: I have found that physicians share three common desires when discussing their surgi- cal practice. They want clinical excellence at the forefront, they want to remain independent while gaining a competitive edge via partnerships, and they want balance to ensure quality of life for themselves and their families. ASCs provide a unique environment to exceed these expectations, allowing physicians to improve all aspects of their practice and lifestyle. ASCs are convenient, cost effective and efficient options that allow physi- cians to share these benefits with their patients as an extension of their office practice. Additionally, physicians are not often aware of the growing number of procedures that can be performed in an ASC and the hours that can be gained by performing procedures more efficiently in an ASC setting. Thorough reviews of specialty, subspecialty and procedure offerings, in addition to available equipment and supplies, should be performed and compared to competing facilities. A willingness to add retina to an existing eye pro- gram, or to be the first in your market to do a total joint or use a new blade can make the difference in you opening the door to a surgeon you are in- terested in attracting. Growing your business is no longer just about increasing market share, you have to win share. n a cloud-based platform to manage surgery centers 1(866) DOC-NEXT | www.nextservices.com/ASC BILLING | CONSULTING | EHR