ASCs have established a significant presence within the healthcare ecosystem, driving hospitals and health systems to coexist with surgery centers.
Karen Reiter, vice president of operations and payer management at Newport Beach, Calif.-based TriasMD and DISC Surgery Centers, connected with Becker's to discuss the key factors behind the ASC evolution and how to capitalize on growth opportunities to position the industry for future success.
"ASCs have always been an exciting field. However, they have definitely come into their own and grown at an extremely fast rate," Ms. Reiter said. "I'm very excited with how surgery centers are changing, the types of cases they're taking, the adoption within the community and the way that ambulatory is becoming a very strong, established piece of every community."
The top growth opportunity for ASCs has been, and will continue to be, the addition of higher acuity cases. While they require more work, protocols and management, they provide centers with more revenue, Ms. Reiter said.
She attributed the expansion of services to technological advancements that have integrated robotics and navigational tools into nearly all surgical areas. The more technology ASCs can supply, the greater their capabilities and efficiency, directly translating to improved safety and quality, Ms. Reiter said.
The increased range and complexity of services ASCs offer have escalated the synergy between surgery centers and hospitals, which Ms. Reiter highlighted as a key strategy for fostering a symbiotic dynamic within the broader healthcare ecosystem.
Even when surgery centers operate independently, partnering with a hospital can present beneficial spin-offs, such as shared resources for inpatient cases, imaging and ancillary labs. Surgery centers and hospitals can also develop co-ownerships, such as partnerships with private equity or physician groups, Ms. Reiter said.
"It's not a 'them versus us' mentality anymore," Ms. Reiter said. "This ongoing collaboration is a great thing to see and will take us where we want to go."
The evolving relationships between ASCs and hospitals reflect a shift from competition to cooperation, offering opportunities for continued growth and a more integrated healthcare ecosystem. Successful leaders must remain disruptive, engaged and open-minded to navigate this dynamic landscape effectively, Ms. Reiter said.