Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/908020
16 ASC MANAGEMENT Recruiting Staff in a Marketplace With 2 Large Hospital Systems: Milwaukee ASC Executive Director Fawn Esser Lipp Weighs In By Mary Rechtoris T o move forward in the competitive healthcare marketplace, equipping an ASC with the right staff is imperative. Hiring and maintaining staff is no easy feat, and being forthright with potential hires about what an ASC expects from its employees is of the utmost importance, according to Fawn Es- ser Lipp, RN, BSN, CNOR, executive director of Milwaukee-based e Surgery Center. "I like to let candidates know what is expected of them and what they will get in return and that nothing less is tolerated," Ms. Esser Lipp says. "My favorite question to ask is how they handle confrontation with physi- cians, patients and/or other team members." Varying expectations can result in a plethora of issues, such as lack of productivity. e Surgery Center overcomes these potential issues by seeking employees who strive to work with one another to accomplish a task. Operating under the mantra that no task is beneath any employee, the collaboration among the ASC's team members allows the center to retain motivated employees. Staff retention is crucial for the center as the Mil- waukee marketplace is competitive, with e Surgery Center vying for candidates against two major hospital systems. "ese two major hospital systems con- tinue to grow, which can reduce our pool of employees. It's harder to find candidates with ASC experience," Ms. Esser Lipp says. To find staff that will fit well with the ASC, e Surgery Center engages current employees. Staff members oen post on their personal Facebook pages about open positions. e ASC has eliminated print ads, replacing this with other platforms such as Indeed, MilwaukeeJobs.com and LinkedIn for upper level positions. As operating margins narrow and reim- bursement trends lower, reducing staff turnover can differentiate successful ASCs from others struggling to stay afloat. To limit potential turnover, ASCs should properly vet employees during the interview process. "I prefer not to hire fast just to fill a posi- tion," says Ms. Esser Lipp. "at leads to so much more work." If the interviewer knows a candidate may have to come in at 5 a.m., that person should ensure that expectation is made known to the potential candidate dur- ing the interview. All parties involved in the interview process should be honest to ensure the position is a good fit. n 10 Statistics on RN Compensation by Practice Setting By Mary Rechtoris R egistered nurses practicing in occupational health or hospitals generated the highest earnings across all practice settings in 2016, according to the Med- scape RN/LPN Compensation Report 2017. Here are 10 statistics to note on RN earnings in 2016: 1. Occupational health — $84,000 2. Hospital-inpatient care — $84,000 3. Hospital-based outpatient clinics — $80,000 4. Industry setting: Insurance/health plan — $78,000 5. Academic setting — $78,000 6. Skilled nursing facilities/other long-term care settings — $77,000 7. Hospice/palliative care — $76,000 8. Home health/visiting nurse — $75,000 9. Public health setting — $68,000 10. School/college health services — $65,000 n 4 Opportunities in Outpatient Spine from Dr. Frank Phillips By Laura Dyrda F rank Phillips, MD, co-founder of the Minimally Inva- sive Spine Institute at Rush in Chicago, lists four big opportunities in spine. Question: Where do you see spine headed over the next few years? Dr. Frank Phillips: Clearly less invasive spine surgery is the future. We are seeing the "deconstruction" of traditional hospital structures with a migration of spine surgery to the ASC environment. Opportunities Include: 1. Improving spinal diagnostics to facilitate more ac- curate patient and procedure selection as we evolve towards precision medicine. 2. Moving away from a narrow "spine widget focus" to procedural innovation optimizing safety and reproduc- ibility. 3. Developing perioperative pain management strate- gies to facilitate ASC surgery. 4. Manufacturer supply chain innovation to provide implants that are cost feasible in a narrow margin ASC environment. n