ASC administrators were traditionally tasked with managing day-to-day operations at surgery centers, reporting directly to physician owners and executing their vision. Many were former nurses tied closely to quality initiatives and being the connector between physicians and nurses.
For some centers, that's changing.
ASCs now need strategic leaders with an eye for business growth. Many have business degrees or training to advise on taking surgery centers to the next level, leading through transactions and guiding the organization through financially stressful times as the healthcare industry transforms.
Four ASC leaders recently discussed the most important qualities for the next generation of ASC leaders on the Becker's Ambulatory Surgery Centers Podcast.
Note: responses have been lightly edited for clarity.
Nicholas Grosso, MD. President of The Center for Advanced Orthopaedics (Bethesda, Md.): There's a very famous saying: skating to where the puck's going to be, not where the puck is, and I think a lot of times leaders get bogged down in the day-to-day because there's so much going on. Things are constantly changing, and to keep your group or your organization functioning well, it takes a lot of time in the here and now. It's really hard to pull back to that 40,000 foot level and take a look at the market as a whole, and where it's going.
The most effective leaders are going to do that. They're going to see the market is moving to risk, and in order to succeed at risk, they're going to need tools in their toolbox that they just can't afford on their own. They could take a huge cash infusion from a private equity firm, or try to partner with someone where they are giving up some of their gains, but we don't think that's the way to go.
We think the best way is to own everything. Let the doctors who do the actual work benefit from being efficient. I'm hoping to work with those kinds of leaders in the next few years, and hopefully we'll achieve some great stuff.
Nyleen Flores, Administrator of Total Surgery Center (Naples, Fla.): [Leaders of the future] need to be adaptable to the changing healthcare landscape. They need to encourage growth, not only into the business, but invest in their staff for personal growth, and invest in themselves to keep up with the changes in the healthcare landscape.
Emily Spponer. CEO of South Florida Same Day Surgery Center (Pompano Beach): I really think that what COVID taught us is we needed to learn adaptability and the best spine and ortho leaders will continue with that trend. Adapt to social media, digital marketing and the technology, and stay with the time, and include that with your patients. Be able to still provide the best patient care. The leaders in the industry will continue with that focus and use all the tools we have that are coming up in technology to be able to truly focus on their patients and to make lives easy for them with patient portals. It's not difficult.
Bruce Feldman. Administrator at Bronx (N.Y.) Ambulatory Surgery Center: Leaders are going to have to be very innovative and stay on top of cutting edge technology. We are in a very patient-driven environment. Patients are going to want to go to the places that are doing very cutting edge work, that are offering the best and latest in technologies, so I think to stay ahead of the game and be a successful spine and orthopedic facility, you're going to have to be at the forefront of what is going on. Disc replacements and artificial intelligence are coming down the pipe, and I think that will have a role.