Prior to St. Augustine, Ms. Fischer served as an administrator at HCA and BayCare Health System. She also ran the operating room schedule at a 16-suite OR in Lexington Ky. She has administrative experience teaching and opening cardiac rehabilitation centers. Ms. Fischer says, "I have been blessed in my management career to be mentored by both Nancy Burden and Ann Geier, both of whom are leaders in the ASC industry. Their commitment to excellence has inspired me to continually achieve."
Ms. Fischer has followed in her mentors' footsteps and continues to coach and mentor the members of her staff, who in turn have accomplished great things. "My business office manager has become a certified coder, and my clinical manager has become a Florida licensed risk manager. I love seeing employees take ownership and pride in their work," she says.
Her ability to juggle this task with the other demands of the ASC is a skill Ms. Fischer attributes to her management company. "ASCOA encourages and demands administrators to know all functions of the center," she says. "I believe you cannot be a top administrator if you are unable to sit in each area and work and understand the positions and how each position is dependent on the others."
St. Augustine's staff and its team attitude are Ms. Fischer's favorite parts of the ASC. This attitude took three years of work on the part of the staff, according to Ms. Fischer. "Employees participate in QI meetings, preparing and presenting data from each of their responsibilities," she says. "In addition to this, with the building now looking pristine, we are proud to work here and show the work environment to others."
This change in the staff has led to great success, including a face-lift of the 10-year-old building. The ASC has also improved its supply costs, savings and quality. Ms. Fischer, however, attributes these successes again to her staff. She says, "Probably the best initiative I undertook was to develop my employees into a team that took ownership and began working together for the center. We maintain a quality environment through our team effort."
Ms. Fischer says she loves her job. "It is the highlight of my career," she says. "But I would have to say what I love most are the curve balls. I love dealing with the problems. It makes the job interesting and challenging. In any given day, there are several different types of problems. Prioritization is a must. If problems exist and are not taken care of, they escalate."
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