ASC Industry Leader to Know: Michael Pankey of Ambulatory Surgery Center of Spartanburg

Michael Pankey, RN, is the administrator of the Ambulatory Surgery Center of Spartanburg (S.C.), a multi-specialty center with seven operating rooms and two endoscopy suites that sees approximately 10,000 patients per year.

Mr. Pankey previously served as administrator and clinical resources manager at several different locations. He spent 10 years in the U.S. Army Reserve and served as the president of the South Carolina Ambulatory Surgery Center Association.

In an interview with Becker's ASC Review, Mr. Pankey discussed the necessity of outsourcing billing in ASCs. "The larger a center gets, the more beneficial outsourcing becomes because the more people your vendor can put on your account," he said. Space is also a key consideration — Ambulatory Surgery Center of Spartanburg was not built to accommodate an in-house billing department, and it became clear to Mr. Pankey the surgery center couldn't support those services. "If you are strapped for space in your surgery center, especially in your business office, it makes sense to outsource the billing," he said.

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