Whether a high-volume surgeon departs suddenly or as planned, ASC leadership will often feel pressured to find a replacement as soon as possible, according to Westchester, Ill.-based Surgical Information Systems.
Surgical Information Systems shared five things ASC leaders should take into consideration when replacing a high-volume surgeon on their blog:
1. Staffing, training and equipment costs. A new surgeon's needs, such as new supplies, capital investments, the staff they may bring and equipment the ASC may be lacking, can be costly. To ensure an ASC can fit these needs into their budget, leaders should take the time to learn what each potential replacement may require.
2. Current shareholders. ASC owners may disagree with creating more shares for new owners due to the possibility of their own holdings diluting in value.
3. Employment at hospitals. If you partner with a hospital, consider whether their employed physicians will be able to perform cases at the ASC. Work with hospital partners on contract language that would allow employed physicians to also perform surgery in the ASC.
4. Operating agreements. ASCs should consider updating or creating new operating agreements to take the future needs of the center into consideration, like revising language to allow recruitment.