ASC Leader to Know: Jeffrey Simmons of Regent Surgical Health

For physicians and hospitals pursuing a common goal of quality, financial gain and patient satisfaction, Regent Surgical Health CDO Jeffrey Simmons says joint ventures may be the answer. In a June editorial for Becker's ASC Review, Mr. Simmons talked about the move toward partnerships between physicians and hospitals, saying the healthcare industry has changed from a time when "hospitals tended to be uninterested in sharing management, control and profits with doctors, which resulted in the loss of many of their outpatient cases to independent doctor-controlled facilities."

After a decade of high-profile outpatient cases leaving hospitals for the ASC, hospital CEOs are realizing that partnerships with physician practices may bolster volume for both parties and provide better care for patients. "I have also noticed that hospitals [which] used to only implement [joint ventures] with doctors if they managed the operations themselves have come to the conclusion that, while they manage inpatient care well, they are not equipped to be excellent managers of outpatient facilities," he said.

By capitalizing on their different strengths, he said, physicians and hospitals can accomplish more than financial gain. "Surgeons should not consider a hospital partnership if they are looking primarily for money to fund their enterprise," he said. "All entities should be able to agree on a common goal … whether the need is for better contracting rates, recruitment of new physicians into a practice or to gain a competitive edge."

As chief development officer and a board member for Regent Surgical Health, as well as a former specialty hospital CEO, Mr. Simmons is well-versed on both sides of the relationship between hospitals and physicians. He began his career in healthcare as vice president of marketing for American Medical International, where he headed business development for 18 hospitals. He also served as CEO of two specialty hospitals and an associate CEO of a full-service acute-care hospital.

He has also worked on behalf of HIV patients as founder and CEO of the Immune Suppressed Institute. For Regent Surgical Health, Mr. Simmons is responsible for development and acquisition of surgery centers.

Mr. Simmons received his master's degree from the University of Maryland.

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