ASCs poised to thrive as physician dissatisfaction grows

Physician satisfaction is on the decline, with only 65% of physicians reporting they are satisfied or very satisfied with their profession.

This growing dissatisfaction, particularly in surgical environments, presents a significant opportunity for ASCs to attract talent and strengthen leadership.

Brett Maxfield, CRNA, president and CEO of Maxfield Healthcare Solutions and president of the Idaho ASC Association, joined Becker's to discuss what's driving physician dissatisfaction with surgery situations. According to Mr. Maxfield, dissatisfaction among physicians reached a tipping point during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"A lot of surgeons, for lack of a better term, took offense to who got to decide whether their services were essential," he said. "Many physicians were placed in positions where their livelihoods were really hurt, especially for specialties like cosmetic surgeons, pediatric dentists and podiatrists."

This experience led many physicians to seek greater autonomy, he added, as they became unwilling to rely on external decisions about which services they could provide. Over time, they also realized that more procedures and services could be offered outside of traditional hospital settings than they initially thought.

Hospital scheduling has been another major source of frustration for physicians. 

"Lesser-preferred specialties get bumped in favor of 'sexier' specialties like orthopedics, neurosurgery or cardiology, which take priority for block time," he said. And while this makes sense from an administrator's perspective — hospitals need to maximize revenue, particularly after the financial toll of the COVID-19 pandemic — but this trend has pushed surgeons to step out. 

ASCs can often provide flexibility physicians crave. Features such as access to two rooms for back-to-back cases, the ability to start or finish procedures on their own schedule and opportunities to add cases as they arise can make ASCs more accommodating than hospitals.

"I’ve worked with surgeons and proceduralists nationwide, and this is a common thread: dissatisfaction with hospital scheduling and a desire for autonomy over their surgical schedules, equipment and often the staff they work with," he said. "Physicians become very comfortable with their teams, which has benefits and drawbacks. A well-oiled team ensures smooth operations, but disruptions — like introducing a new team member — can cause inefficiencies."

The operating environment at ASCs is also a major draw. ASCs can offer "often provide a quicker, more pleasant experience," Mr. Maxfield explained. "With faster turnover times and specific benchmarks, they enable surgeons to complete more cases in a day."

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