Becker's ASC Review

11 ASC Management sicker and older. "We must adapt our processes to grow with the times," says Ms. Kinsey. Pre-anesthesia screening nurses are required in most centers to make this process smooth. In smaller cen- ters, it can be the same person assigned to do that every day; in larger facilities one or more people can fill this role. "Adequately assessing and preparing for patients before they are in our centers will decrease same-day cancellations and delays," says Ms. Kinsey. "Additionally, this preparation increases patient and staff satisfaction." 2. Supply chain management — backor- dered supplies and increasing costs. The supply chain becomes dysfunctional as backor- dered items or pharmacy shortages mean ASCs don›t have everything they need to host cases when scheduled. "It can be challenging to ensure that all the necessary items are available for each and every case," says Ms. Kinsey. Dedicated supply chain management staff can reduce stresses with backorders and rising prices. Assign materials managers to monitor specific supply or pharmacy item subsets. "For example, a scrub tech who works in the ENT room every week adds valuable insight into the needs for the coming week," says Ms. Kinsey. "Also, surgeons may share information about upcoming cases or vacations with OR personnel that would otherwise be unknown to the Materials Manager. These coordinators can also monitor the usage and inventory of hard-to-get items, allowing plenty of lead time for replacement." 3. Scheduling and billing office disorga- nization. These functions are traditionally done through paper records and interactions, leaving room for error. Now, however, there are auto- mated systems to help accommodate scheduling, billing and inventory demand. "However, the success of these systems often de- pends on the quality of set up and maintenance given to them," says Ms. Kinsey. "Providing ad- equate time for planning and implementation of these systems will increase the long-term suc- cesses and benefits." There are many products available, including elec- tronic health records, that can improve efficiency and communication between physicians and other providers, as well as physicians and patients. "Many vendors will bring new products into your facility with no charge just for using their wares," says Ms. Kinsey. "An example might include bar- code systems for inventory and integration of lab results into the EHR system or an automated payment estimator that can shave hours from the workload of financial counselors." 4. Assigning the right tasks to staff mem- bers. Staff members who are in the wrong posi- tion can create chaos at the ASC. "Allocating the right people with the proper tasks becomes vital to balancing quality care and phy- sician investment," says Ms. Kinsey. "Promoting the strengths of the individuals within your or- ganization where certain individuals may excel or struggle allows the administrator to deal with those situations accordingly." Identify needs in the facility and use resources to address issues so the environment is happy and more efficient for everyone. 5. Weak leadership and culture. The leader sets the tone for their organization, and leaders who are negative or unable to lead ef- fectively will have an impact on the center. The ASC is more efficient when staff and physicians are satisfied. "An effective way of promoting facility efficiency is the immediate recognition of optimal behav- ior," says Ms. Kinsey. "This is essential for a thriv- ing environment." People are often trained to follow leaders as a young age, but not always act as a leader. "Although when you act as a leader and promote a healthy, worthwhile behavior on a daily basis, much of the staff will begin to follow your lead," says Ms. Kinsey. "For the rest who choose not to abide by that behavior, immediate correction is crucial." n 5 Big Dysfunctions in ASCs — And How to Fix Them (continued from cover) SourceMedical Acquires LaClaro — 6 Things to Know By Laura Dyrda S ourceMedical signed a definitive agreement to purchase LaClaro, a company managing outpatient revenue cycle operations with the flagship product Lighthouse. Here are six key notes on the acquisition: 1. SourceMedical will now be able to create a more comprehensive outpatient solution with a broad set of analytical and workflow ca- pabilities to help organizations view and interpret practice financial information. 2. Clients will have greater visibility into billing processes and quickly identify gaps to improve operational efficiencies. 3. SourceMedical's Revenue Cycle Services division will have en- hanced visibility into clients' aging claims to improve cash flow. 4. LaClaro adds management reporting, analytics applications and automated workflow to SourceMedical's outpatient solutions for ASCs and the extended outpatient continuum. 5. The transaction is expected to be finalized in June 2015. 6. The final acquisition is expected to bring a wave of development to extend outpatient solutions. "SourceMedical's expertise and presence in the outpatient space will give Lighthouse a broader audience," said LaClaro CEO Terry Rajendran. "The acquisition will facilitate a rapid progression of industry best practices. It is our belief increasing the efficiency of outpatient centers will lower the cost of healthcare and it is our goal to work toward that result." n "Adequately assessing and preparing for patients before they are in our centers will decrease same- day cancellations and delays. Additionally, this preparation increases patient and staff satisfaction." — Janie Kinsey, Administrator with Saint Luke's Surgicenter—Lee's Summit

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