Kathy Kelly, facility administrator at Viewmont Surgery Center in Hickory, N.C., discusses how she keeps surgeons and staff engaged and excited about her center.
1. Hold an employer open house. Viewmont Surgery Center hosted an employer open house earlier this year for area employers with 100-plus employees to see the facility. The physicians were involved in planning the event.
"Our physicians were very involved in recruiting to make sure the open house was a success," says Ms. Kelly. "We did a brief presentation during the open house about Viewmont Surgery Center, the cost benefits of an ASC versus the hospital and gave a tour of the facility. The physicians were there to speak with the employers and appreciated staff members who were also at the event to support them."
Many of the employers attending the event had visited the surgeons in the past and were able to connect with them at a different level outside of their offices. "They were able to speak with our surgeons one-on-one in a more relaxed, but still professional, setting about why they liked bringing cases here," says Ms. Kelly.
2. Tap surgeons for marketing ideas. More healthcare providers are finding creative ways to market within their community. Reach out to your surgeons for support in marketing campaigns and ideas about how to best promote the center.
"We had informative posters designed and created by our physicians," says Ms Kelly. "They were published for a time and now we have them hanging in the lobby for each main service we provide. As soon as patients enter our facility, they see these large wall posters about orthopedics, ENT and pain management."
3. Place surgeons on different committees. A number of surgeons at Viewmont Surgery Center serve on committees focusing on quality, performance improvement and other management areas. Surgeons also serve on the board of directors to give feedback on clinical decisions such as equipment purchases and process updates.
"We have meetings once per quarter and elected committee positions are renewed yearly, to keep new ideas coming in." says Ms. Kelly.
Surgeons have an open invitation to board and committee meetings whether they are board members or not. Annual shareholder meetings also provide an opportunity for all surgeons to gather and share ideas and updates on the center.
4. Become easily accessible to surgeons. The administrator at the surgery center should be easily accessible to their surgeons. Ms. Kelly has an office in the back of the facility near the operating rooms, so surgeons and staff are always walking past, and have easy access to just drop in.
5. Build a team culture at the ASC. It's important for all of the physicians in the facility to be satisfied. All surgeons and staff members should feel like they are part of a team providing excellent care and a quality patient experience at the ASC.
"Our surgeons know the staff is competent, efficient, and reliable, and that's what keeps them coming back; they know they're part of the team," says Ms. Kelly. "We try to allow everyone to have a voice that is heard, and keep everyone involved in the day to day happenings of the facility."
More Articles on Surgery Centers:
10 Key Thoughts for ASC Administrators Before Large Equipment Purchases
8 Statistics on ASC Operating Expenses per OR
12 Statistics on GI Revenue Per Case by Geographic Location