Ms. Austin also serves as vice president of operations, Western region for Pinnacle III and has opened a variety of surgery centers. She started out at Pinnacle III as a director of operations, serving as an administrator for many of the company's new centers. As she moved up the corporate ladder, she remained the administrator at Peak One. Ms. Austin is also a board member of the Colorado Ambulatory Surgery Center Association and chairs the emergency preparedness committee for ASCs in Colorado. She is currently serving a term on MedAssets' Surgery Center Advisory Board.
According to her colleagues, "Ms. Austin effectively interacts with physicians, hospital management, employees and vendors by establishing a personal, unique rapport with each individual."
Recently, with the help of her staff, Ms. Austin prepared Peak One for AAAHC accreditation. "We were able to transition a staff that had no ASC experience, only hospital, and have them understand ASCs as a cost-effective alternative to surgery in the hospital," she says. "Now, people truly understand and are proud of the concept of the center."
Ms. Austin is proud of the charitable contributions her center has made to the Frisco community. "We donate to the local foundation and community care clinic," she says. "We also provide the highest amount of charity care in the area."
Ms. Austin credits the center's success to her staff. "We have a great, mature group of nurses who have been in the community for many years," she says. In addition, the staff and physicians have no "class system," meaning no staff member feels more important than any other member, she says. "When everyone comes into work, they are focused on patient care. It's a close-knit community."
When it comes to working as an administrator, Ms. Austin enjoys opportunities and challenges such as preparing for accreditation or the new CMS Conditions for Coverage. "There is always a sense of panic, and then we plan how we can make it happen," she says. "I love to be involved and learning from the staff. Not a day goes by where I don't learn something."
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