As another COVID-19 surge sweeps the country, some ASCs are again encountering cautious patients avoiding nonurgent surgeries.
Alfonso del Granado, the administrator of Covenant High Plains Surgery Center in Lubbock, Texas, spoke with Becker's ASC Review on his approach to assure patients of the safety in receiving a procedure from an ASC.
Editor's note: This interview was edited lightly for clarity and brevity.
Question: What are you most worried about in 2022?
Alfonso del Granado: My biggest worry in 2022 is that the ongoing COVID-19 crisis will continue to play a role in preventing a portion of the population from availing themselves of elective surgical treatment options. Conversations with my surgeon always touch on one similar topic — some of those who can safely delay surgery are continuing to do so. In some cases, they forthrightly express their concerns about COVID-19, but in other cases, as so often happens, they say 'Thank you very much, let me think about it and discuss it with my family,' and that’s the last anyone hears from them. This is not the lion’s share of the elective surgery population, but it’s enough to make a significant difference.
Our approach is to make sure surgeons' offices have information about how ASCs are safely dealing with COVID-19 concerns and that they share these with patients. I’ll be working with our marketing and education departments to put together a brochure, and we feature this prominently on our website. We are also doing some direct-to-patient online marketing to get the message across, that although COVID remains a concern, ASCs are a safe environment and that patients should not take needless risks by delaying needed treatment.