Administrator of Bellingham, Wash.-based Pacific Rim Outpatient Surgery Center Gary Richberg, RN, BSN, MBA, CMPE, CASC, examines the key trends for ASCs today and how his center is promoting sustained growth for the future.
Mr. Richberg will speak at the Becker's ASC 25th Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, October 18-20, 2018 in Chicago. Click here to learn more and register.
Question: How do you see the healthcare landscape changing and what is your strategic plan to maintain success?
Gary Richberg: As the economy strengthens, I see that the proposed changes in the reform of healthcare to remain unchanged. The single payer push by Democrats and the dislike of that system by the Republicans will keep us where we are at today. That being said, I think that the move towards a lower cost delivery system can only be achieved by price transparency on a nationalized level.
Again, there are discussions about this, but very little movement by our legislators. My strategic plan to maintain success is to continue to provide a lower cost alternative than hospital outpatient surgical services and to inform surgeons that the use of HOPD over ASCs harms the patient financially and that with an ASC that has lower infections rates, higher patient satisfaction, better clinical outcomes and lower cost is much better for the patient, healthcare system and the surgeon.
Q: What do you see your center doing over the next three to five years to promote strength and sustainable growth?
GR: One of the things my center is doing is a marketing campaign to the community in concert with the surgeons which directly markets both the surgeon and the ASC via a social platform and the use of the public transit system. This direct approach keeps any current and future patients and stakeholders aware of the surgical services that the center provides and draws positive attention towards the facility for and potential site of service that the patient may chose in the future. This effectively promotes that my facility can compete with the HOPD and other community ASCs and the community stakeholders become indirect marketers for the ASC.