Thomas Blasco, MD, is the medical director of Surgical Directions and a board-certified anesthesiologist. He has a masters degree in administrative medicine, is a national consultant, and has helped to open several ambulatory surgery centers.
Question: When did you begin working on the administrative side of medicine?
Dr. Thomas Blasco: Beside my clinical practice, I've been working in an administrative role close to 30 years. My interest in operations started when I was a young teaching attending at Northwestern and was put in charge of the schedule and managing surgical services.
In general, I found that operations were poorly managed. Early in my career, I discovered that there were four agendas within the operating room. One was surgeons, one was anesthesia, one was nurses and finally there was administration. All have different perspectives and needs, that often clash with others.
Feeling the need for more business skills, I went back to school and received a degree in Administrative Medicine from the University of Wisconsin in Administrative Medicine. Since then, over a period of 20 years, I gradually became an expert in organizational transformation within the OR.
A short time after graduation, we started Surgical Directions which has become one of the nation's leading boutique surgical services turnaround firms. Surgical Directions’ transformational successes, are built on the principle of improving the value of surgical services, focusing on its customers; the surgeon and the patient.
Question: What are you doing in this point in your career?
TB: For most of my career I specialized in both critical care medicine as well as anesthesia. More recently I have been transitioning into providing anesthesia services outside the hospital, both in ASCs and the office-based setting.
I am currently medical director of the Illinois Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery Center. Our mission is to provide high-value patient-centric outpatient surgical care. In this arena we are one of the leading facilities in the Chicagoland area.
Our successful efforts have allowed us to achieve cutting edge ambulatory services. Indeed, we are now Chicagoland’s leading center for outpatient joint replacement surgery, both total hip and knee arthroplasties. This year, using state-of-the-art pain treatment modalities, home health and physical therapy, we have performed over 60 arthroplasties, sending these patients home within hours after surgery.
Question: How are you setting up the practice to be successful?
TB: Having the right leadership is key.
We have found that successful leadership in the complex environment of surgical services is best served by a multi-discipline leadership team, whether in the hospital or the ASC. This leadership group, functioning as board of directors, includes surgeons, anaesthetists, nursing and administration. Operations, guided this group, and by surgeons in particular, balances the needs of each group, while leading the transformation to high value services.
Besides this leadership body, you need effective frontline management. Three positions are especially important, a business manager, a medical director and a nursing director. Having three strong individuals in those key areas, and you'll have a successful operations.
Learn more from Dr. Blasco at the 15th Annual Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference + The Future of Spine in June 2017! Click here for more information.