Three ASC administrators discuss six ways to recruit quality surgeons to your ambulatory surgery center and improve case volume.
1. "Recruit" your own physicians. Randy Huffman, administrator of Coral Springs (Fla.) Surgical Center, says recruitment shouldn't be limited to new physicians. If your existing physicians could be performing more cases at your center, talk to them and find out why they're taking ASC-appropriate cases to another facility. "When some of Coral Spring’s new urology physicians were taking cases to the medical facility one mile away, I made a point to speak with them to learn why there were not bringing certain cases," said Mr. Huffman. He found out the physicians thought the cases had to go to the hospital when in fact they could go to the ASC. He also learned they physicians were frequently bumped from their OR slots at the hospital, so he offered to work on creating a more efficient scheduling process at the center if the physicians brought the cases.
Connie Casey, administrator of Northpoint Surgery and Laser Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., says your existing physicians can help if a certain physician is failing to bring cases to the center. If a physician is taking ASC-appropriate cases to the hospital, she says her other physicians will take action. "I had a doctor who was doing cases at the hospital, and they all said, 'Why are you doing that? This should be your first place to go.'" After the physicians spoke up, she said the wayward physician committed 100 percent to the center.
2. Join the local Chamber of Commerce. When Mr. Huffman wanted to build case volume at Coral Springs, he started with the Chamber of Commerce. "I became an active member of the Chamber, and through that, I started meeting a lot of business people in the community," he says. Don't underestimate the power of community connections: If your center is well-known in the community, more surgeons will hear about your recruitment efforts. Join your local Chamber of Commerce and keep up an active membership to make sure business owners are spreading the word about your ASC.
3. Set a standard for recruitment. Mr. Huffman says he has a personal goal to see three physicians every week. That could mean he spends five minutes dropping by the physician's practice to say hello and introduce himself, or it could mean he schedules a longer meeting to show a potential physician the center. "I recruit at least three days a week. That's my rule," he says. "I get my face in front of a physician, and even if they can only bring me four or five cases a month, that's great."
Mr. Huffman says he doesn't discount surgeons who will contribute a low case volume. "Everybody wants the guy who can do 60 cases a month, but I'd rather find 25 people who will each do five cases a month," he says. "That way, if one of them gets relocated, that's not a huge impact on your center."
4. Take advantage of your management company. Laura Smith, administrator of Tampa Bay (Fla.) Specialty Surgery Center, says her management company, National Surgical Care, is extremely helpful in recruiting new physicians to the ASC. "NSC has dedicated a staff member, a national director of sales and marketing, to help with physician recruitment for all of the Florida centers," she says. "I get him one week out of the month, and we go out and visit our existing physicians to make sure we're keeping them happy." She says if an existing physician recommends a new surgeon, they do a cold call and talk to the physician to find out if the ASC can offer a unique and beneficial service. "[When we get] a hospital physician at the ASC, it opens our eyes about how much more efficient and cost-effective the ASC is," she says.
5. Advertise your turnover times. Since ASCs are naturally more efficient than hospitals, Ms. Smith recommends centers showcase their turnover times as a reason for physicians to bring cases. A physician who is used to the hospital may be pleasantly surprised by the efficient nature of the ASC. If your turnover times are not as good as they could be, focus on improving them to draw more physicians. Ms. Smith says her ASC creates a "team atmosphere" that helps staff members work together to improve turnover times. "There's not one person here that only does one thing," she says. By asking staff members to pitch in and do work they might traditionally consider outside their job description, she says the ASC can get rooms turned over quickly and physicians in and out of the ASC in a timely fashion.
6. Don't just focus on high-dollar surgeons. Mr. Huffman says many ASCs focus on bringing "high-dollar surgeons" — such as spine or orthopedics — to the center to maximize revenue. Unfortunately, those surgeons can be much more difficult to recruit, posing a problem if your center is in a highly saturated area. Instead, he says his center has focused on recruiting ophthalmology surgeons who may not bring as much revenue per case but who can bring more cases overall. "In south Florida, where people come to retire, we see a fair amount of cataract surgeries," he says. "It's something I've kind of honed in on because of our population."
Learn more about National Surgical Care.
Read more case studies from ASCs affiliated with National Surgical Care:
-7 Costs Your ASC Could Cut in 2011
-Successful ASC Case Study: Northpoint Surgery and Laser Center
1. "Recruit" your own physicians. Randy Huffman, administrator of Coral Springs (Fla.) Surgical Center, says recruitment shouldn't be limited to new physicians. If your existing physicians could be performing more cases at your center, talk to them and find out why they're taking ASC-appropriate cases to another facility. "When some of Coral Spring’s new urology physicians were taking cases to the medical facility one mile away, I made a point to speak with them to learn why there were not bringing certain cases," said Mr. Huffman. He found out the physicians thought the cases had to go to the hospital when in fact they could go to the ASC. He also learned they physicians were frequently bumped from their OR slots at the hospital, so he offered to work on creating a more efficient scheduling process at the center if the physicians brought the cases.
Connie Casey, administrator of Northpoint Surgery and Laser Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., says your existing physicians can help if a certain physician is failing to bring cases to the center. If a physician is taking ASC-appropriate cases to the hospital, she says her other physicians will take action. "I had a doctor who was doing cases at the hospital, and they all said, 'Why are you doing that? This should be your first place to go.'" After the physicians spoke up, she said the wayward physician committed 100 percent to the center.
2. Join the local Chamber of Commerce. When Mr. Huffman wanted to build case volume at Coral Springs, he started with the Chamber of Commerce. "I became an active member of the Chamber, and through that, I started meeting a lot of business people in the community," he says. Don't underestimate the power of community connections: If your center is well-known in the community, more surgeons will hear about your recruitment efforts. Join your local Chamber of Commerce and keep up an active membership to make sure business owners are spreading the word about your ASC.
3. Set a standard for recruitment. Mr. Huffman says he has a personal goal to see three physicians every week. That could mean he spends five minutes dropping by the physician's practice to say hello and introduce himself, or it could mean he schedules a longer meeting to show a potential physician the center. "I recruit at least three days a week. That's my rule," he says. "I get my face in front of a physician, and even if they can only bring me four or five cases a month, that's great."
Mr. Huffman says he doesn't discount surgeons who will contribute a low case volume. "Everybody wants the guy who can do 60 cases a month, but I'd rather find 25 people who will each do five cases a month," he says. "That way, if one of them gets relocated, that's not a huge impact on your center."
4. Take advantage of your management company. Laura Smith, administrator of Tampa Bay (Fla.) Specialty Surgery Center, says her management company, National Surgical Care, is extremely helpful in recruiting new physicians to the ASC. "NSC has dedicated a staff member, a national director of sales and marketing, to help with physician recruitment for all of the Florida centers," she says. "I get him one week out of the month, and we go out and visit our existing physicians to make sure we're keeping them happy." She says if an existing physician recommends a new surgeon, they do a cold call and talk to the physician to find out if the ASC can offer a unique and beneficial service. "[When we get] a hospital physician at the ASC, it opens our eyes about how much more efficient and cost-effective the ASC is," she says.
5. Advertise your turnover times. Since ASCs are naturally more efficient than hospitals, Ms. Smith recommends centers showcase their turnover times as a reason for physicians to bring cases. A physician who is used to the hospital may be pleasantly surprised by the efficient nature of the ASC. If your turnover times are not as good as they could be, focus on improving them to draw more physicians. Ms. Smith says her ASC creates a "team atmosphere" that helps staff members work together to improve turnover times. "There's not one person here that only does one thing," she says. By asking staff members to pitch in and do work they might traditionally consider outside their job description, she says the ASC can get rooms turned over quickly and physicians in and out of the ASC in a timely fashion.
6. Don't just focus on high-dollar surgeons. Mr. Huffman says many ASCs focus on bringing "high-dollar surgeons" — such as spine or orthopedics — to the center to maximize revenue. Unfortunately, those surgeons can be much more difficult to recruit, posing a problem if your center is in a highly saturated area. Instead, he says his center has focused on recruiting ophthalmology surgeons who may not bring as much revenue per case but who can bring more cases overall. "In south Florida, where people come to retire, we see a fair amount of cataract surgeries," he says. "It's something I've kind of honed in on because of our population."
Learn more about National Surgical Care.
Read more case studies from ASCs affiliated with National Surgical Care:
-7 Costs Your ASC Could Cut in 2011
-Successful ASC Case Study: Northpoint Surgery and Laser Center