No two surgery centers are the same despite similarities in design and systems. We look at our surgery centers like our children — each has its own personality, likes and dislikes, all of which makes each very interesting. And while the foundation of each surgery center is its systems, success is not based on the systems and processes alone. Rather, it is the human element —surgery centers are people taking care of people in a safe environment.
What makes this work so enriching is the magic that occurs when good systematic processes are implemented with the right people. This begs the questions: What is the magic? Who are the right people?
It would be disingenuous to try pinpointing exactly how to create magic. It is a bit of this and a pinch of that. It is alchemy, after all, not science. (This makes managing and developing centers a lot of fun.) Perhaps more useful than defining magic is to suggest some ingredients and ideas for allowing it to happen.
A happy place
Magic is what occurs when a surgery center is a happy place for the patient, their family, the staff, the physicians and management. It is apparent when everyone is on the same page moving toward common goals. Certainly, this can be measured somewhat by outcomes —patient satisfaction scores, infection rates, transfer rates, collections and physician feedback. These serve to objectively validate the center's success. Even financial success, while essential, is not an indicator of happiness. Making money and paying dividends result from correctly executing several interrelated tasks.
Magic is something quite different. It occurs when the patients, patient families, surgeons, anesthesia, staff and management feel good about the center and it earns the reputation as a quality institution. This positive feeling about the center is a subjective thing with a precarious balance — similar to many life events, like buying a house or having a child.
What are other signs of magic?
For surgeons, the ASC reflects upon them professionally. It is a place to perform surgery in an efficient setting that frees up their time to see more patients in the office, address personal matters and interests or spend time with family. The ASC can also provide supplemental income if it is declaring regular dividends. Physician commitment to the surgery center is a key element of magic.
For staff, the ASC provides a specialized setting for outpatient procedures. Certain staff members gravitate to outpatient surgery. They also like the lifestyle with no call. The clearest sign of a well-run surgery center and a happy staff is low turnover.
Anesthesia is such a critical element to operating surgery centers. They turn cases around and practice outpatient anesthesia. When anesthesia is in sync with a surgery center, they act as a bridge between the surgeons, staff and management.
Good management supports the staff, is fair and equitable, addresses the needs of the surgeons, ensures systems are being followed and leads the surgery center forward. Good management can turn a surgery center around, but bad management can hold it back from reaching its potential. One of the keys to magic in the management is identifying conflicts and issues before they arise. For example, it is crucial to identify unhappy staff that does not want to follow the system, and act like a cancer over the entire organization. Similarly, management must address the needs of unhappy physicians: can the unhappiness be overcome? Is it related to something outside the center? Will it create a divide among the physicians?
While you cannot make everyone happy — and no ASC is blissfully happy and without need of some improvement — magic managers are peacemakers who see and respond to issues before they arise. They earn the respect of the staff and physicians, lead by example and put the needs of the organization at the forefront.
The magic is conjured by creating a high quality, efficient, happy and well-run center as measured by objective and subjective standards. The necessary ingredients are strong surgeon support along with outstanding anesthesia that understands outpatient surgery, a staff embracing the vision of the surgery center motivated to ensure superior patient care and a positive physician experience.
Management's influence over all of this is significant. As the leader of the business, management must hire and train the staff, develop and implement the systems, contract with anesthesia and act as the conduit between anesthesia, the surgeons and staff. Management must be the glue or the igniter of the spark. Great managers engender loyalty to the center.
What fuels the magic?
It is the emotional tie-in to the center. It is the staff, anesthesia, management and the surgeons feeling connected to the ASC and trusting each other. It is putting the needs of the surgery center at the forefront and seeing that the greater good benefits all. That is the magic — the focus that binds the center together.
Excerpted from Developing and Managing Ambulatory Surgery Centers, by Joseph S Zasa and Robert J Zasa. Copyright 2016 ASD Management. Order at ASDManagement.com or Amazon.
Joseph Zasa is a founder and managing partner of ASD Management. Learn more about Joe and the team of experts he leads at ASDManagement.com.
This article was sponsored by ASD Management.
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