Andy Poole serves as the manager of ASC business solutions at ECRI.
Mr. Poole will serve on the panels "Is it the Right Time to Sell? What Happens Next?" and "Direct-to-Employer Contracting 101: Strategies to Ink Valuable Deals" at Becker's 19th Annual Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place in Chicago from June 16-18.
To learn more and register, click here.
Question: What issues are you spending most of your time on today?
Andy Poole: The fallout from the pandemic is still driving where the greatest effort and support in an ASC needs to be dedicated. It is a fairly even split between supporting the supply chain processes and patient safety initiatives. There is a great amount of work to do to support supply chain resiliency during shortages and recalls and to more effectively manage the supply spend, as those dollars are needed for rising staffing costs. Along the lines of staffing shortages, the impact this has had on patient safety is evident, and many times those who are in safety and quality roles have less time available to spend in those functions. We have been working with groups to design and implement safe systems of care, as well as training opportunities.
Q: What are you most excited about right now?
AP: Now is the time for ASCs to deliver on the promise of value-based care. The spotlight is on care outside of the hospital and the question of can it handle the greater volume and more complex cases and continue to contain costs will need to be answered. I am sure we are up for the challenge.