More than one year after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many ASCs are still experiencing pandemic-related obstacles.
Five ASC administrators spoke to Becker's ASC Review about the issues their center is still facing.
Here are five problems ASCs are still facing:
1. Staffing
Barbara Pederson, RN, center director for the Endoscopic Surgical Centre of Maryland in Silver Spring, has experienced staffing shortages at her center since the onset of the pandemic.
"The stress of the pandemic has pushed many staff members to seek different positions," she said. "The hospitals are paying nurses extremely high salaries with contract employment, which often includes a sign-on bonus. ASCs cannot match what the hospitals are offering."
2. Rapid information changes
Information during the pandemic was shifting rapidly, as policymakers and healthcare leaders struggled to adapt to new information.
Wendy King, BSN, RN, the director of The Corvallis (Ore.) Clinic Surgery Center, said her center is still struggling to adapt to the rapidly changing COVID-19 information and policies, specifically in Oregon.
"One of the biggest hurdles we have faced all along is the rapidly changing information — i.e. you can wear 'this' type of mask, but not 'this' one — and the many personal opinions that confuse the information, even within the CDC," she said. "Oregon has handled the pandemic very differently than other parts of the country, and many people within the state don't agree."
3. COVID fatigue
Ms. King is also having to deal with consistent patient frustration with the COVID-19 rules at her center — what she calls "COVID fatigue."
"We see it in our patients, their family members, our providers and staff," she said.
"Overall, people are anxious. Almost daily we have to deal with someone who is upset that we screen everyone who comes in our building, that we don't let the patient's plus-one past the front desk, or that we continue to test all patients even after they have had a vaccine."
4. Case volume
Elective surgery case volume declined during the pandemic, and some ASCs have had trouble returning their surgery volumes to pre-pandemic levels.
Ed Downs, RN, is the regional administrator for Northwest Surgery Center Red Oak in Houston and the Memorial Hermann Surgery Center in Conroe, Texas. He has seen several specialties that have been slow to bounce back from the pandemic — notably otolaryngology.
"Most of our surgeons pre-pandemic were seeing twice the number of patients in the clinic as they are post-pandemic," he said. "Given that the majority of these cases are 65 and older, there appears to be a significant amount of apprehension on the patient's side."
Laura Oestrike, the administrator for Mt. Pleasant (Mich.) Surgery Center, is also seeing case volume declines.
"Cases are being canceled due to COVID-19 symptoms, positive COVID-19 results and patients canceling at the last minute due to fears of the pandemic," she said.
5. Supply chain
Many ASCs saw intense supply chain backlogs and delays during the pandemic, particularly with personal protective equipment.
Andy Paulson, the executive director for the Central Illinois Endoscopy Center in Peoria, said his facility is still experiencing supply chain disruptions.
"Some of our supplies take longer to deliver, which is due to both production cycles as well as transportation issues," he said. "We purchased some capital equipment late last year and the delivery took three times longer than normal due to production delays caused by parts from Europe being delayed."