Four ASC leaders joined Becker's to discuss their thoughts on ASC ownership.
Editor's note: These responses were edited lightly for clarity and brevity.
Joe Greene, MD. Co-founder of Louisville (Ky.) Hip & Knee Institute: Ownership is primary. The next-generation physicians have now seen the pros and cons of hospital employment. Many see that the lack of control from an office and clinical setting negatively affects patient care. The ability to control their own protocols and office efficiency has driven many of the training physicians I work with to want to have their own practices. Paramount to the success of those private practices is ASC ownership. ASC ownership has financial gains in itself but also enables a much more productive and happy work experience.
Dennis Fliegelman. Principal Consultant at ARA Financial Services (West Lake Village, Calif.): The outpatient reimbursement of facilities should not be one of ownership but of clinical rationales; e.g., a hospital-based outpatient surgicenter with immediate access to the hospital's back-up should have more procedures on an approved list and should have a higher rate than an off-campus or independent one.
Other facilities and factors should also be considered, such as extended post-surgical facilities and coverage. They are not all equal and need to be put into categories for reimbursement in addition to outcome, satisfaction and cost-efficiency factors.
Caitlin Zulla. CEO of SCA Health (Deerfield, Ill.): Coming out of the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, we placed a heavy emphasis on role clarity and prioritization. It sounds simple and obvious — but aligning on ownership and execution pathways is critical to support efficient decision-making and organizational success.
Michael McClain. Executive Director of Ambulatory Surgery at Providence (Renton, Wash.): At Providence, we also find that one of our greatest recruitment and retention strategies continually reinforces our commitment to our mission and community focus, as internal analysis shows that resonance with our mission is critical for short- and long-term retention. This resonance with the mission is key across both our wholly owned ASCs as well as our joint ventures, as we find caregivers that find alignment with our larger commitment to provide care for all patients, including the poor and vulnerable, feel more engaged in their work, feel more ownership in their organization and the important role ASCs play in lowering the overall cost of care while expanding care for all.