Becker's ASC Review

9 13th Annual Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference + The Future of Spine – Call (800) 417-2035 CEO New Year's Resolutions: 9 of the Best Ideas for ASCs in 2015 (continued from cover) venture, joining an accountable care organization or partnering with other ASCs in the area. 2. Patient collections strategy. The second wave of patients signing up for healthcare cov- erage through the insurance exchanges is en- tering the market; high deductibles are rising. As patient financial responsibility increases, so must collections diligence. "We are focused on patient financial responsibility and balances owed by them," says Robert Carerra, president and CEO of PINNACLE III. "We have implement- ed a patient collections dashboard for all of our facilities." Putting financial expectations in place and communicating them to patients is essen- tial for ASCs to profit from procedures. 3. Strengthen physician relations. Physi- cians remain at the core of the ASC industry's success. Continually monitor your physicians' satisfaction and find ways to encourage and ac- commodate their case load. "Are you meeting your physicians' needs?" asks Mr. Carerra. "Focus on their referral sources. Help put them in the public eye." Strong connections with ASC physi- cians and their referral sources serve to sustain and grow centers' case volume. 4. Cost cutting. Cutting costs is not a revolu- tionary concept, but it remains one of the best tools in an ASC's arsenal for combating rising overhead. "We have markedly reduced our supply formulary. Work closely with your group purchasing organi- zation and standardize as much as possible," says Mr. Carerra. Revisit supplier relationships, work with physicians to reduce variety in preference items and turn to your staff for their input on pos- sible cost savings avenues. 5. Perfect financial performance. In ad- dition to cutting costs, it is imperative to revisit and hone every financial function of your cen- ter. From accounts receivable to each and every service provider, is the center functioning at the highest level? "Really make sure you are maximiz- ing your margins," says Mr. Tanner. 6. Payer partnerships. Payers and providers alike are under pressure to stretch the healthcare dollar further than ever, all while striving to pro- vide the highest level quality of care. Rather than clinging to an adversarial relationship, it behooves ASCs and payers to work together for a combined advantage. "The way to overcome challenges is anchored in our ability to achieve a better, broad- er understanding of the ASC value proposition and to find new ways to work with third-party payers to achieve savings by encouraging patients/ consumers to seek high quality care from cost ad- vantaged providers," says Mr. Tanner. ASCs can share goals and savings with payers, and there is no single way to achieve this end. ASCs are working with payers to create bundled payment arrangements, move higher acuity procedures out the hospital and carve out improved reimburse- ment rates. 7. Aggressive business development and market research. The passive provider is un- likely to survive healthcare changes. "I plan to be more aggressive in business development and be a better student of healthcare innovation," says Mr. Tanner. Constantly look beyond the four walls of your ASC and examine the surrounding market. The better the understanding of an ASC's com- petition, potential partners, possible physician re- cruits and patient base, the better poised a center is to find and succeed in new avenues of business. 8. Direct-to-consumer marketing. ASCs have traditionally relied on physician referral sources to drive case volume, but referral patterns are shift- ing and no longer as reliable. As patients abandon the passive approach to healthcare, ASCs have the ability to appeal directly to empowered, well-in- formed consumers. "One of the biggest opportu- nities is direct-to-consumer marketing, especially for patients with high deductible plans," observes Mr. Carerra. How ASC leaders approach market- ing depends on budget and location, but there are many viable options. Consider free social media platforms or engaging local media sources. 9. Price transparency. Ready or not, price trans- parency is coming. Some states, like Rhode Island, California and Massachusetts, are implementing transparency legislation. Regardless of state involve- ment, patients everywhere are demanding that in- formation. "The biggest single payer is no longer a company like Blue Cross Blue Shield. It is the con- sumer," says Mr. Tanner. "Gather data, monitor it and make it more transparent. This is something every center, large or small, must do." n Robert Carerra Barry Tanner it is more cost-effective to do just orthopedics, gastroenterology or ophthalmology, looking to become more of a center of excellence." 4. Screen for patients who aren't good candidates for the outpatient setting. "Our centers will do better by not having patients that are outside the scope of what we are prepared to handle," says Mr. Grundman. "It's the patient who has more communication issues and complex medical issues we have to watch for. We are often not the best facility for that patient." 5. Document a patient visit the same day it occurred to help ensure that all informa- tion is accurately recorded. Always ask patients about their allergies, and record the presence of al- lergies and untoward reactions to drugs in a promi- nent and consistent location in all clinical records. 6. Develop a relationship with the refer- ral source to provide information about the patient beyond the medical history, including their ability to cope with prob- lems. This can help the surgery center approach the patient better from their first encounter. 7. Take a broader view of your responsi- bility for the patient after surgery to make sure there is appropriate care at home so the patient doesn't end up in the emer- gency room for avoidable issues. For ex- ample, calling the patient the afternoon or eve- ning after surgery to monitor their recovery and provide early intervention if there are problems. 8. Refer to the patient check-in area as the "reception" rather than the "waiting room" to help communicate that a patient's time is valuable. Remember to provide patients with any relevant handouts and all available printed information regarding diagnosis, evaluation, treat- ment or prognosis. 9. Continuously seek new medical educa- tion opportunities and learn something every day. Formal education including confer- ences and webinars can spark interesting ideas to improve patient care, but also make time for dis- cussion with colleagues and other medical profes- sionals to learn from their experiences. "To me, the habit of being curious, patient-cen- tered and evidence-based with the desire to im- prove is critically important," Mr. Grundman says. 10. Work with insurance companies to ac- commodate patients. At the end of the day, patients will remember providers who are advo- cates for them. n

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