Administrator of Boston Out-Patient Surgical Suites Gregory P. DeConciliis, PA-C, CASC, has been at the helm of BOSS since it opened in July 2004 and instrumental in its growth.
The center's orthopedic and pain physicians perform more than 500 procedures per month at the three-operating room, one-procedure room facility. The center recently added total joint replacements as well.
Mr. DeConciliis will share his expertise as a speaker at the Becker's ASC 26th Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, Oct. 24-26, 2019 in Chicago. To learn more and register, click here. For more information about exhibitor and sponsor opportunities, contact Maura Jodoin at mjodoin@beckershealthcare.com.
Here, Mr. DeConciliis outlines his key focus areas for 2019
Q: What is the top focus for you and your ASC in 2019?
1. Volume and maximizing opportunities. Word of mouth and working through surgeons to recruit any 'free agents' will be essential. I am also focused on ensuring the new volume is maximized, and for new service lines, like total joints or spine, I'm working to maximize success with efficiency and cost savings.
2. Insurance contracts. We're revisiting contracts and ensuring we are reimbursed fairly and adequately for procedures, especially the newer higher acuity procedures (like joints, spine, etc.).
3. Employee retention. We want to make sure employees are happy with their work environment so we don't have to recruit new ones.
4. Patient satisfaction. Especially for mature centers like ours, you have to build your brand and perfect it. Look at the little things that patients remark on and fix them to ensure the patient experience is a good one. As we prepare for OAS CAHPS and more transparency in quality and patient satisfaction, we will continue to work to improve these areas.
5. Surgeon satisfaction is a key priority. Don't get complacent. Ensure surgeons continue to be happy with the service you are providing, and therefore they bring all of their cases.
6. Opportunities for affiliation/involvement in ACOs. ASCs are not the new kid on the block anymore; patients and hospitals/hospital systems are aware of us. Pitch the cost savings to a hospital organization to be involved in their ACO as a cost-savings opportunity. If you can get creative with a joint venture, perhaps it will be worth it for the hospital or ACO because the ASC cost savings are very real.
7. Marketing is important to improve your brand. There are also opportunities for ASCs to market with data transparency and procedure costs. Work with the insurance companies to try to incentivize patients (or surgeons) to utilize the lower-cost setting. Are there tools that can be used to educate patients on the cost savings afforded by ASCs? Should you hire a PR firm to do some of this? It may be money well spent. You should also cross-sell what you do to other specialties, for example, the orthopedic patient who needs a colonoscopy as well, etc. If they are happy with their experience at your center, that may influence who they utilize as a surgeon.
8. Compliance. In an era of continued compliance and stricter standards, it's so crucial to know what is 'in' now with CMS and AAAHC and what is 'out.' What areas need to be improved upon to always be 'survey-ready'?