Catherine Retzbach, RN, BSN, CASC, administrator of Holly, N.J.-based Memorial Ambulatory Surgery Center, discusses why cost containment is imperative for surgery centers to remain successful and how clear communication between physicians and schedules can boost patient volume.
Question: How do you get an entire staff on board with lowering costs in ASCs?
Catherine Retzbach: In our union environment it is difficult to do. Over time and education on costs the staff will buy in. In other centers the year-end bonus is connected to lowering costs.
Q: Why is cost containment increasingly important as healthcare moves toward value?
CR: Containing costs in an environment of decreasing revenues makes it paramount in being successful. The two biggest expenses are supplies and salaries so getting new service lines and additional cases help to make the business viable.
Q: What strategies have you employed to bring in new cases and what can an ASC do today to boost their patient volume?
CR: The key for us has been having a good line of communication with the schedulers. Many of the physicians depend on the schedulers to let them know where they are going to do cases. We have an annual lunch for the schedulers which has also helped their practice grow because they meet people from other specialties and gain referrals for their practice. Also, when the physicians are in the center I make a point to talk to them about what is going on in their offices as far a new physicians, patient traffic and generally see how they are doing.
Learn more from Ms. Retzbach at the 24th Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs in October 2017. Click here for more information.