Kathy Beydler, RN, C, managing partner at Strategic Surgical Solutions outlined key strategies to build local partnerships and attract surgeons to ASCs during an Oct. 25 presentation at Becker's ASC Review 26th Annual Meeting in Chicago.
"The biggest thing in building a relationship is understanding that all business is built on relationships," Ms. Beydler said.
When it comes to building relationships with surgeons, Ms. Beydler said it's not a one size shoe fits all situation, and is instead a multifactorial effort that requires time, resources and going out of your way to make a personal effort.
Three tips to attract surgeons to your ASC:
1. Build a relationship with the scheduler. Cultivate a relationship with the surgeon's scheduler. "The surgeon's scheduler is the gatekeeper and the relationship is dependent on the administrator or whoever is running [the] surgery center," Ms. Beydler said. "Establishing a rapport with the scheduler provides a wealth of information including surgeon preferences and frustrations."
2. Involve your staff. It's important to let surgeon's feel comfortable and ensure that your staff recognize the value of surgeons at your center. "If you can help your staff understand that your doctor is your customer, that's going to go a long way," Ms Beydler said. "You want to encourage and help them because you want to be able to partner with them," Ms. Beyler said.
3. Reduce unnecessary requirements. Look at your processes and eliminate "fluff" or any component that isn't a necessity to facilitate clinical workload at your surgery center. "If there are things that are not critical to patient safety or getting the patient scheduled — things that you can delete and get rid of the extra paperwork — I would encourage you to get rid of it," Ms Beydler said.