Becker's ASC Review

82 Becker's ASC 21st Annual Meeting – The Business and Operations of ASCs – Call (800) 417-2035 Premier Orthopaedic Surgery Center (Nashville, Tenn.). Admin- istrator Natalie Soule uses a group purchasing organization to leverage the best prices available for implants and always communicates to the physician about the price and reimbursement of the same-quality implant before ap- proving a physician preference item purchase. However, she wants physicians to make the final decision. "It is not our place to tell a physician whether they can or cannot use a par- ticular type of implant or supply; however, if a physician requests an implant or supply that is not on contract, we would communicate to the physician the cost of the implant/supply, and my contract alternative," said Ms. Soule in a Becker's ASC Review article. "We strive to educate our physicians to the cost of implants and reimbursements." The surgery center is a part of Premier Orthopaedics, which has eight loca- tions and includes 27 orthopedic specialists. It offers comprehensive muscu- loskeletal services, including hand, hip, shoulder and spine care. The surgery center includes preoperative and postoperative areas. SMI Surgery Center (San Diego). "Go local! Our center is going to save almost $5,000 per year by switching from a large payroll company to a local one that offers many more services, including customer service. We've also switched from a large biomedical waste company to a local vendor and saving 20 percent per year," says Judy Harless, MBA, CASC, administrator of the center. The surgery center encompasses 12,000 square feet, and it includes four oper- ating rooms and two private 23-hour stay rooms. It is Medicare-certified and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations-accredited. Opened in 2009, the multispecialty surgery center focuses primarily on or- thopedics, pain management and neurosurgery. Surgery Center at Pelham (Greer, S.C.). Watching goals closely can help surgery centers cut costs, said Bill Hazen, administrator of the ASC in a Becker's ASC Review article. The center has a series of goals that change depending on performance. "Right now our goals focus on case cost, case revenue, patient satisfaction and physician satisfaction. Five percent of all distributions are split equally among all the employees if these goals are met. For every dollar the staff saves the center that is five cents in their pockets," he says. The multispecialty surgery center includes orthopedics, pain management, gynecology, ENT, gastroenterology and urology. Surgery Center of Reno (Nev.). This Regent Surgical Health-affiliated ASC formed a quality improvement committee led by an operating room staff member who had a true understanding of the initiatives and processes necessary to achieve quality care at a lower cost. The STAR (Surgery, Tactics and Recognition) committee included OR staff and leadership that worked together towards the goals, she says. "We methodically went through service lines with a standardized approach, looking for opportunities for cost savings, trade out of products, practice changes and staff education. Physicians were involved in review of both products and processes," says Ms. Roberts. "We measured the results in mul- tiple ways. The completion of specific goals was measured, for example, we ensured that all preference cards were updated, and we reviewed and revised all of the OR packs. At year end, we were able to save approximately $105,115 in medical supplies from the previous year." The freestanding surgery center has direct hospital access if the need arises to transfer. Its physician team performs surgical services in neurosurgery, ENT, general surgery, orthopedics, gynecology, urology, podiatry and pain management, among others. James J. Lynch, MD, a fellowship-trained spinal neurosurgeon is president of the ASC and chairman of the board. Texas Orthopedics Surgery Center (Austin). According to Luann Lamb, who manages supply and equipment orders at the surgery center, with fluctuating drug prices and availability, having three to four sources for phar- macy purchases saves money. Also, keeping a list of vendors and pricing for each drug gives ASCs a quick reference and they can move down the list and find the best price. "Many times you see a large price difference between the different vendors. At one time we were ordering all of our drugs from one vendor. Having multiple sources can save us up to $1,000 on a weekly order," says Ms. Lamb. Also, using two group purchasing organizations with two different vendors has also saved the center a lot of money, and Ms. Lamb has found savings of more than $8,000 over a one-year period on supplies ordered every week. "We use primary and secondary vendors for our implants so I know when I need to replace or add an instrument set, and I can usually go to my vendors and ask for a deal. I agree to purchase a number of implants up front and the vendor gives us the instrument set for free. I will only agree to this if I know we can use the implants within one quarter so I do not have product sitting on my shelf. We are not spending any more money than we would have and we add instrumentation to our inventory," she says. Founded in 2002, the ASC is owned and operated by the physicians of Texas Orthopedics. It is fully accredited by The Joint Commission. Procedures commonly performed at the center include arthroscopy, knee arthroscopy, shoulder arthroscopy and endoscopic carpal tunnel surgery. The Endo Center at Voorhees (N.J.). According to ASC Administrator Andrew Weiss surgery centers need to do some out-of-the-box thinking to successfully cut costs. For example, The Endo Center talked to its electric supplier and found that they could get a better rate because of their high us- age. "We are saving over $50,000 a year because of looking into utility costs," he says. "ASCs should also look into block time utilizations. Start with your surgery partners. Remember that efficiencies in block time and improving those can save a lot of money. Benchmarking is also a good idea. Look at what other centers are doing and get information regarding their costs. If you aren't looking at this already, you should be." The surgery center is an outpatient, endoscopic facility focusing on colorectal cancer screening and the treatment of various digestive diseases. It includes multiple GI endoscopy procedure rooms and recovery rooms. It is Medicare- approved and accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care. "A journey of a 1,000 miles begins with one step," says Mr. Weiss. "A dol- lar here and there counts and it all adds up. Sometimes it's the smaller op- portunities in cost-cutting that have the biggest impact, not necessarily the dramatic overhaul." n TO SUBSCRIBE TO the FREE Becker's ASC E-weekly, go to www.BeckersASC.com or e-mail Scott Becker at sbecker@beckershealthcare.com Facility Development & Management, LLC YOU FOCUS ON YOUR PATIENTS WE FOCUS ON YOUR BUSINESS Development • Management • Consulting • Regulatory Compliance Experts Your Center In Our Hands Let our expertise guide you to success Contact us www.facdevmgt.com 845.770.1883

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