Two ASC administrators told Becker's ASC Review their strategies for bringing independent physicians to their centers.
Note: Responses were edited for style and clarity.
Becky Ziegler-Otis. Administrator at Ambulatory Surgery Center of Stevens Point (Wis.): We rely upon our surgeon offices to identify physicians interested in joining their group. Their search includes identifying opportunities to address gaps in services that are currently provided, such as identifying a surgeon who uses the anterior approach for hip replacements. Once physician candidates are identified, they are provided a tour of the surgical center, allowing them to spend time with key staff such as the administrator, the clinical director and the materials manager to learn more about the quality of care and patient satisfaction metrics of the surgical center as well as what it has to offer them as a surgeon.
Raghu Reddy. Administrator at SurgCenter of Western Maryland (Cumberland): We discuss the physician's needs, concerns and preferences early on and show how our ASC can create value for his patients while providing excellent care, outcomes and satisfaction scores. There could be a lot of choices for an ASC based on the location. In our area, we are the only ASC in the county. We invite the surgeons to tour the center and coordinate a discussion with other surgeons and share their experiences. We need to outline the quality of equipment, competent staff and anesthesia providers. For example, for orthopedic surgeons, blocks are essential, so the anesthesia providers should have excellent block skills with a can-do attitude. The administrators should provide a 360-degree view of all the benefits their ASC provides and why they are different from others if there is a choice.