In today's environment, staffing challenges continue to be one of the biggest issues ASC leaders are up against.
Here is what three ASC leaders had to say about the staffing crisis:
Editor's note: These answers were edited lightly for clarity and brevity.
Ann Cook, RN. Director of Nursing at Best Surgery and Therapies (Cincinnati): The biggest obstacle I face in my day-to-day is staffing. It is no secret that we are facing a nursing crisis, which is forecast to only get worse. It is a known fact that ASCs pay less than hospitals, the main reason being ASCs' reimbursement rates are notoriously and appallingly lower than hospital reimbursement rates.
Sheila Thompson, RN. Administrator at Twin Cities Pain Clinic and Surgery Center (Edina, Minn.): The biggest issue I am spending most of my time on is staffing. We are short RNs and nursing assistants. It is extremely hard to run a busy ASC being short on nurses. Our current team works so hard, but they cannot maintain this pace over the long term. I hope this improves in the next six to 12 months.
Andrew Wade. CEO at OrthoSC (Myrtle Beach, S.C.): Staffing is by far the biggest challenge that we're facing today. The inflationary market pressure on all of our collective purchasing power and the "great reshuffling" have created extreme wage competition and a hyper-competitiveness within the market.