With this year coming to an end, it’s time to start thinking of your Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) plans for the new year, including cardiovascular procedure strategies.
Now that Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved reimbursement for Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCIs), among other cardiovascular procedures, in the ASC setting1, Medicare-accredited surgery centers around the country are deciding what part PCI should play in their organization. At the same time, the possibility of offering outpatient PCI opens up a myriad of issues, ranging from supply questions to the impact of a pandemic. For ASC leaders considering offering PCI to their care communities, these are three key points of awareness to keep in mind.
- There are enough cardiologists.
The viability of an ambulatory cardiology center or program will depend heavily on the availability of independent cardiologists, but this is not an impossible hurdle to cross. Orthopedics, for example, saw similar challenges when orthopedic procedures began migrating out of the acute setting. In response, independent orthopedic surgeons simply began consolidating to form independent centers. Expect to see single specialty ASCs evolve most rapidly in markets where there are enough independent cardiologists to support patient volumes and keep a facility busy, avoiding downtime and preventing financial challenges. This is most likely in markets where there are around five independent cardiologists who can partner together in an ASC joint venture. - PCI in the ASC setting aligns neatly with current healthcare trends.
It's not a coincidence that more procedures, PCI included, have steadily been moving into the ambulatory setting. The consumerization of healthcare has encouraged patients to seek care outside hospitals while provider-led “Hospitals Without Walls" initiatives have expanded the way many healthcare consumers shape their expectations of care accessibility. Ultimately, offering PCI in the ASC setting supports an expanded commitment from providers to “do no harm" by offering safety and quality outcomes while minimizing financial burden and risk to the patient, insurance company, and the taxpayer. - You will face new procurement challenges.
Offering PCI in the ambulatory setting presents new challenges for ASC materials managers. They will be tasked with qualifying and creating optimal partnerships in distribution, medical and surgical supplies, pharma, interventional procedures, freight management, and analytics to insure the profitability of the PCI program, along with the safety and results of cardiac patients. While many of these challenges may be new, procurement decisions should be based on the well-being of the patient and the practice to maintain outcome quality and support financial health.
For more resources and insights into the ASC space, visit https://www.cardinalhealth.com/en/services/acute/surgery-centers.html.