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42 JUNE 2017 CONFERENCE PREVIEW Dr. Thomas Blasco on Improving Operations in ASCs By Eric Oliver T homas Blasco, MD, is the medical direc- tor of Surgical Directions and a board- certified anesthesiologist. Question: When did you begin working on the administrative side of medicine? Dr. omas Blasco: Beside my clinical practice, I've been working in an administrative role close to 30 years. My interest in operations started when I was a young teaching attending at Northwestern and was put in charge of the schedule and managing surgical services. In general, I found that operations were poorly managed. Early in my career, I discovered that there were four agendas within the operating room. One was surgeons, one was anesthesia, one was nurses and final- ly there was administration. All have different perspectives and needs that oen clash with others. Feeling the need for more business skills, I went back to school and received a degree in administrative medicine from the University of Wisconsin. Since then, over a period of 20 years, I gradually became an expert in organiza- tional transformation within the OR. A short time aer graduation, we started Surgical Directions which has become one of the nation's leading boutique surgical services turn- around firms. Surgical Directions' transformational successes are built on the principle of improving the value of surgical services, focusing on its customers; the surgeon and the patient. Q: What are you doing in this point in your career? TB: For most of my career I specialized in both critical care medicine as well as anesthesia. More recently I have been transitioning into pro- viding anesthesia services outside the hospital, both in ASCs and the office-based setting. I am currently medical director of the Illinois Sports Medicine and Or- thopedic Surgery Center. Our mission is to provide high-value, patient- centric outpatient surgical care. In this arena we are one of the leading facilities in the Chicagoland area. Our successful efforts have allowed us to achieve cutting edge ambula- tory services. Indeed, we are now Chicagoland's leading center for out- patient joint replacement surgery, both total hip and knee arthroplas- ties. is year, using state-of-the-art pain treatment modalities, home health and physical therapy, we have performed over 60 arthroplasties, sending these patients home within hours aer surgery. Q: How are you setting up the practice to be successful? TB: Having the right leadership is key. We have found that successful leadership in the complex environment of surgical services is best served by a multidiscipline leadership team, whether in the hospital or the ASC. is leadership group, functioning as board of directors, includes surgeons, anesthetists, nursing and administration. Op- erations guided this group and by surgeons in particular balance the needs of each group, while leading the transformation to high value services. Besides this leadership body, you need effective frontline management. ree positions are especially important, a business manager, a medi- cal director and a nursing director. Having three strong individuals in those key areas and you'll have a successful operation. n Dr. Thomas Blasco will be speaking on "ASC Initiatives in Orthopedic Bundled Payment and Same Day Joint Replacement" at the conference Friday, June 23 at 1:55 p.m.