Becker's ASC Review

81 Becker's ASC 21st Annual Meeting – The Business and Operations of ASCs – Call (800) 417-2035 Here are 12 ambulatory surgery centers with innovative and effective cost- cutting strategies. Ambulatory Center for Endoscopy (North Bergen, N.J.). According to Sarah Malaniak, CASC, administrator of the center, the most important cost initiatives that she has implemented since joining the center in February are cross training and flexible staffing. "This has reduced the amount of overtime hours at my center to zero thus saving the center thousands of dollars," she says. Ms. Malaniak also suggests renegotiating all service contracts when they come up for renewal as it is possible to find savings by renegotiating. Also be- ing aware of the contract renewal date is crucial to the renegotiation process. She also suggests standardizing medical supplies to cut costs. "If you can get your physicians to agree to all use the same type of supplies for the majority of the cases performed, you will be able to negotiate better pricing with vendors based on volume," she says. "Have more than one source for medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, etc. Also, pay invoices early if you are able. Some vendors offer up to a 3 percent discount if you pay your invoices net 15 instead of net 30." The surgery center was founded in 2006 and has provided endoscopy services to more than 21,000 patients from around the region. It is accredited by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and Accreditation Associa- tion for Ambulatory Health Care. The 8,000-square-foot center includes two procedure suites, a four-bed pre-operative/admitting area, as well as a post- anesthesia monitored recovery area. CBC Surgery Center (Schererville, Ind.). According to Amy Sinder, administrator of CBC Surgery Center, hire all flex staff and cap fulltime em- ployees at 32 hours per week. This will drive staffing costs down without deterring quality employees; the really qualified nurses like time flexibility and working without being on-call, she said in a Becker's ASC Review article. The surgery center provides care in a wide array of specialties, such as gastroen- terology, general surgery, gynecology, hand surgery, ENT and urology. It is ac- credited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. DISC Sports & Spine Center (Marina del Rey, Calif.). Every new item purchased at DISC Sports & Spine Center must have COO Karen Reiter's approval. "We have a fairly strict process for ordering spine implants. Each request goes from the physician to the surgery scheduler and then to my desk, where and I verify the purchase price and that it's an implant for which we have already made an arrangement," said Ms. Reiter in a Becker's ASC Review article. "Then my tech emails the vendor to make sure they have it here." DISC Sports & Spine Center also has a written policy to combat upselling in the operating room. Device reps are not able to upsell technology with- out approval from Ms. Reiter, and if they do, they're responsible for the cost. The surgery center, founded by Robert S. Bray Jr., MD, focuses on providing care for those suffering from sports injuries, orthopedic issues and spine disorders. Hallandale Surgery Center (Hallandale Beach, Fla.). Don't buy sup- plies to just put them in storage, Administrator Lilliana Lehmann said in a Becker's ASC Review article. Meet with vendors regularly and purchase as many supplies on consignment as possible. Group purchasing organizations can also help keep supply costs down, she said. The surgery center is Medicare-certified and accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care. The 6,400-square-foot of space fea- tures two operating suites and one procedure room. The center offers surgi- cal services in spine surgery, pain management, hand surgery, orthopedics and ophthalmology. Macomb Township (Mich.) ASC. The surgery center formed a Savings Value Analysis Committee that meets quarterly and is comprised of the ma- terials manager, a central processing department person, at least one scrub technician and one operating room registered nurse, says Karen Howey, CASC, administrator and CEO. The committee discusses possible cost sav- ings ideas and areas to focus on — from new products to a new surgeon who has come onboard and is requesting costly items. "Getting the staff focused on the problem, making them aware of costs and giving them time, set aside, to work on it has had a huge [impact] on the education and results of this committee," she says. "Our materials manager 'rounds' on our top vendors and physicians monthly. She makes it a point to sit down and discuss new items available, better cost savings through trialing a product or changing products with the physicians. She is also constantly asking the vendors about what is on the horizon that is cheaper and how can we improve what we are already have." The surgery center is affiliated with Nueterra Healthcare and Royal Oak, Mich.-based Beaumont Health System. It offers a wide array of specialties, including general surgery, gynecology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, gastro- enterology, podiatry and pain management. "We are constantly looking for any and all reprocessing opportunities. We check, again biannually, to see if there are new items we can reprocess that we are not currently doing. We added some ENT items last year that re- sulted in thousands of dollars in savings. The caution here is to make sure the reprocessing company you chose meets all the required standards," says Ms. Howey. 11 ASCs With Innovative Cost-Cutting Initiatives By Anuja Vaidya Protect Your Patients the difference is circuitGuard™ Save money • time • space 4296 Cowan Road • Tucker, GA 30084 800-950-2720 x 272 (voicemail) arcinfo@arcmedical.com • arcmedical.com 4296 Cowan Road • Tucker, GA 30084

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