Here are 13 surgery center administrators managing physician-hospital joint ventures, according to previous Becker's Healthcare reports.
To be included on this or any other list, please email Rachel Fields at rfields@beckershealthcare.com.
Traci Albers (North Memorial Ambulatory Surgery Center at Maple Grove in Maple Grove, Minn. and High Pointe Surgery Center in Lake Elmo, Minn.). Ms. Albers has over 15 years of ASC and healthcare management experience, beginning her career as the administrator at a critical access hospital and rural health clinic. After several years at the critical access hospital, Ms. Albers joined Surgical Management Professionals in 2002, where she served as the executive director of High Pointe Surgery Center, a physician-hospital joint venture facility. She worked at the facility for five years and then transferred to a new role working for the ASC's partner hospital. During her tenure with the hospital, Ms. Albers was responsible for system marketing and hospital operations. In 2010, Ms. Albers transitioned back to the ambulatory surgery center market with SMP. She currently serves as executive director for High Pointe Surgery Center and North Memorial Ambulatory Surgery Center – Maple Grove. During her tenure with these facilities, she has added a new specialty, managed a major expansion project and achieved excellent patient and physician satisfaction scores. Reed Martin, SMP COO, says, "Traci is a very organized and experienced manager who excels in process management and communication. These strengths have driven superior results in terms of patient satisfaction and financial performance."
Rob Bashore (Same Day SurgiCenter in Orlando, Fla.). Mr. Bashore went to graduate school at the Medical College of Virginia, where he received a partial scholarship from Columbia HCA — the catalyst that started his career with the health system. He worked on the hospital side of HCA for a while after graduation and then moved to the surgery center industry in 2003, leaving briefly to join another hospital company and then coming back to HCA several years later. "HCA is a fantastic company to work for," he says. He has been with his current surgery center for about a year and a half, during which time the center has achieved three-year re-accreditation from AAAHC and increased its EBITDA. The surgery center has five ORs and three pain treatment rooms and performs approximately 550 cases a month with 44 physician partners. The center, which is owned 51 percent by HCA, recently added a breast treatment center and now performs breast procedures in its pain treatment rooms on Fridays.
Dean Brown (The Orthopaedic Center at Springhill in Mobile, Ala.). Mr. Brown has served as the CEO of Alabama Orthopaedic Clinic, a group of 20 orthopedic specialists in Mobile, for the past 11 years. For the past six years, has had a dual role as the administrator for The Orthopaedic Center at Springhill. In 2003, Mr. Brown assisted his group with negotiations for a joint venture with one of their local hospitals in the development of a 78,000-square-foot orthopedic center that included a 17,000-square-foot ASC — a 50/50 partnership between physicians and the hospital. Once the project was developed, Mr. Brown was asked by the ASC board to serve as the administrator of The Orthopaedic Center at Springhill, a four-OR, two-procedure room outpatient surgery center. The two entities employ over 300 people, and the facility is AAAHC-accredited and has been since its first year of operation in 2004. Over 6,000 cases are performed at The Orthopaedic Center annually, in specialties including orthopedics, pain management and plastic surgery. According to Mr. Brown, the center has been profitable since its first year of operation. Mr. Brown completed his CASC certification in 2006 and his CMPE certification in 2001.
Mary Ann Cooney, RN, CASC (Riverside Outpatient Surgery Center, Columbus, Ohio). Ms. Cooney is the administrator of Riverside Outpatient Surgery Center, a multi-specialty facility in central Ohio with six ORs and one minor procedure room. ROSC performs over 6,000 cases per year. The specialties at the facility, which is currently managed by Health Inventures, include general surgery, gynecology, hand orthopedics, ophthalmology, orthopedics, pain management, plastic surgery and urology. "Our philosophy is a professional service commitment, in partnership with patients, families, and other members of the health care team," Ms. Cooney says. "We believe that the ambulatory surgery patient should expect to receive cost effective, convenient, efficient care, consistent with accepted standards of practice, recognizing the patients' rights to be active participants in their plan of care." The evolution of the center began with its building and opening in 1972 by a small group of innovative physicians and in 1977 was acquired by Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio as a freestanding outpatient surgery department. The surgery center became a joint venture with OhioHealth and physicians in 1997.
Brenda Cyrulik (Eastland Medical Plaza Surgicenter in Bloomington, Ill.). Ms. Cyrulik is the administrator at the Eastland Medical Plaza Surgicenter in Bloomington, Ill., a joint venture between St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington and 26 physician-investors. The center opened in 2001 and has four ORs dedicated to multi-specialty surgery and four procedure rooms dedicated to endoscopy and pain management. The center performs an average of 7,200 procedures annually. Ms. Cyrulik has been at Eastland since 1999, when the center was fully owned by St. Joseph. Prior to coming to Eastland, she served as a surgery manager at BroMenn Medical Center in Normal, Ill., and worked for two years as a circulating staff nurse at Gailey Eye Surgicenter in Bloomington, Ill.
Tom Holecek (Palos Surgicenter in Palos Heights, Ill.). After several years of managing GI labs and medical practices in the hospital setting, Mr. Holecek became the administrator at Palos Surgicenter, managed by Regent Surgical Health, in Sept. 2007. At the time Mr. Holecek joined the center, the ASC was just realizing the benefits of a hospital joint-venture agreement established in Jan. 2007. Despite the center's early success, the facility was still lacking in several areas: Among other issues, more space was needed for quicker turnaround of cases, the waiting room needed modernizing and monitors and patient carts were "well past their useful lives," says Mr. Holecek. In Sept. 2009, after months of meetings and discussions, Mr. Holecek was able to gain consensus between the hospital landlord and the board of managers to embark on a $2 million renovation project that would take 12 months and three phases to complete.
Stuart Katz (Tucson Orthopaedic Surgery Center in Arizona). Mr. Katz will celebrate his 40th anniversary in healthcare on March 21 as executive director of the Tucson Orthopaedic Surgery Center. In his current role, Mr. Katz has helped reduce cost on a per case basis for an ACL from more than $3,000 to under $1,800 by asking surgeons to use more autografts and reduce the ASC's dependence on allografts. The ASC has worked with Tucson Medical Center for more than 44 months under a co-management agreement, a deal projected to save the hospital more than $23 million by the end of 2012 on orthopedic costs. Because of this work, the hospital is building a new four story addition which will house the Tucson Orthopaedic Institute, 24 new operating Rooms (10 of which are for inpatient and outpatient orthopedic surgery) and 40 orthopedic in-patient beds. The center has been under 40 days in A/R since 2007. In addition to his work with Tucson Orthopaedic, Mr. Katz was the founding president of the Arizona Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, for which he served as president for three years. "The new facility will make all of our lives a little easier and staff will have more options to work," he says. Prior to his current role, Mr. Katz worked as director of the Health Inventures managed Physicians Surgery Center in Daily City, Calif.
David Kelly, MBA, CASC (Samaritan North Surgery Center in Dayton, Ohio). Mr. Kelly was employed by Miami Valley Hospital, a member of Premier Health Partners, in Dayton, Ohio, prior to becoming administrator of Samaritan North Surgery Center in Dayton in late 2006. The ASC is a joint venture between Good Samaritan Hospital and local physicians and is managed by Health Inventures. "At the center, we continually strive for performance improvement by applying data-driven solutions to quality, customer satisfaction, operational and financial goals," he says. "While I am not a clinician by degree, I prefer to throw on scrubs, engage directly in the operations to get at the root cause of an issue, measure the center’s performance against both external and internal benchmarks, and identify opportunities for improvement." For example, in the past year, despite continued migration from commercial to the government payers, the center's bottom line increased 16 percent over the prior year due in part to various performance improvement initiatives to reduce bad debt by improving cash collections. Additionally, changes in the pre-admission screening process led to the reduction in hospital transfers by 18 percent without turning more patients away.
Theresa Mazzitti, MHA, MBA, CASC (Eastside Surgery Center in Columbus, Ohio). Ms. Mazzitti is the administrator of Eastside Surgery Center, a multi-specialty surgery center. The center is a joint venture between physicians and OhioHealth and is managed by Health Inventures. Ms. Mazzitti says the best aspect of her center is that surgeons and staff refuse to give up. "After 15 years, we have seen heavy competition with over 20 competing ASCs in the immediate area, and we have seen several ASCs fail because they don't think two to three years down the road," she says. "We must constantly change to be able to remain competitive and to serve the community." Part of this adaptability can be attributed to the center's culture. The staff and physicians take patient care and sound financial decision-making very seriously but still love to laugh and have fun. Ms. Mazzitti joined Eastside in Nov. 2005, but she has held positions in healthcare administration since starting her career. She served as administrative director for Consolidated Health Services in Milford, Ohio, and was practice administrator for University Orthopaedic Physicians in Columbus prior to coming to Eastside.
David Moody, RN (Knightsbridge Surgery Center in Columbus, Ohio). Mr. Moody arrived at Knightsbridge Surgery Center three months after Regent Surgical Health took over the facility in 2004. KSC is a multi-specialty center that performs urology, general surgery, gynecology, plastics, pain, colorectal and neurosurgery procedures. Four years ago, the center entered into a partnership with the Ohio Health hospital system, which currently holds a 49 percent ownership stake in KSC. During Mr. Moody's tenure with Knightsbridge, he says the center has seen two pivotal changes: the introduction of Regent Surgical Health and the partnership with Ohio Health. He says both partnerships have resulted in tremendous benefits for the center. Regent helped turn the center around into a state of profitability and top patient care, while Ohio Health assisted in achieving a predictable cash flow and cost-savings opportunities.
Anne Roberts, RN (Surgery Center of Reno, Nev.). Ms. Roberts is the administrator at the Surgery Center at Reno, a multi-specialty ASC that is owned by physician partners, a hospital partner — Saint Mary's Hospital, and a managing partner — Regent Surgical Health. Ms. Roberts came to the Surgery Center at Reno in Feb. 2006 when it opened and became administrator in Oct. 2006. She began her career as a nurse in the emergency department, spending 16 years as a staff nurse and 10 years as the manager of a busy ED. She says this experience lends itself well to the challenges faced daily in the outpatient surgery arena. "We have an outstanding staff and physician group that makes such a difference and provides excellent care to our patients," Ms. Roberts says. "It is such a pleasure to work in this facility with such great people." Vicki Webb, business manager at Surgery Center of Reno, says that Ms. Roberts "is the best boss I have ever worked for."
Tona Savoie (Bayou Region Surgery Center in Thibodaux, La.). Ms. Savoie is the administrative director of Bayou Region Surgical Center, a multi-specialty surgery center that opened in July 2007. In her time as an ASC administrator, Ms. Savoie says, "I've discovered this position to be an acquired art form. There is constant evolution and new challenges daily, which keeps my energy and interests in high gear. I am proud to be a part of this wonderful contribution to our community." Bayou Region Surgical Center is a free-standing facility with four ORs and one procedure room. Surgeons at Bayou Region specialize in orthopedics, ENT, neurology, general surgery, urology, GI, ophthalmology and pain management. The ASC operates as a 50-50 partnership between physician-investors and a subsidiary of the local community hospital, Thibodaux Regional Medical Center. It is managed by ASD Management.
Lisa Schriver, RN, CNOR (Turk's Head Surgery Center, West Chester, Pa.). Ms. Schriver is the administrator of Turk's Head Surgery Center in West Chester, Pa, a multi-specialty, freestanding surgery center that offers general surgery, GI, orthopedics, ophthalmology, ENT, urology, gynecology and podiatry. Turk's Head is a physician-hospital joint venture that opened in May 2005. Ms. Schriver started with Turk's Head in 2005 as the clinical director and moved up to become administrator. Prior to coming to the center, she had a varied career in nursing and served in various departments including OR, endoscopy and perioperative. From there, she moved to a hospital-based surgery center and became the nurse manager. She has also worked with an anesthesiologist at the hospital that joint ventures with Turk's Head. Ms. Schriver enjoys her role as an administrator because of the changing nature of her job. "Everyday is different, and I can use my sense of adventure to tackle each day. Some days this never-ending change is overwhelming, but at a basic level it really very much appeals to my personality and who I really am," she says.
To be included on this or any other list, please email Rachel Fields at rfields@beckershealthcare.com.
Traci Albers (North Memorial Ambulatory Surgery Center at Maple Grove in Maple Grove, Minn. and High Pointe Surgery Center in Lake Elmo, Minn.). Ms. Albers has over 15 years of ASC and healthcare management experience, beginning her career as the administrator at a critical access hospital and rural health clinic. After several years at the critical access hospital, Ms. Albers joined Surgical Management Professionals in 2002, where she served as the executive director of High Pointe Surgery Center, a physician-hospital joint venture facility. She worked at the facility for five years and then transferred to a new role working for the ASC's partner hospital. During her tenure with the hospital, Ms. Albers was responsible for system marketing and hospital operations. In 2010, Ms. Albers transitioned back to the ambulatory surgery center market with SMP. She currently serves as executive director for High Pointe Surgery Center and North Memorial Ambulatory Surgery Center – Maple Grove. During her tenure with these facilities, she has added a new specialty, managed a major expansion project and achieved excellent patient and physician satisfaction scores. Reed Martin, SMP COO, says, "Traci is a very organized and experienced manager who excels in process management and communication. These strengths have driven superior results in terms of patient satisfaction and financial performance."
Rob Bashore (Same Day SurgiCenter in Orlando, Fla.). Mr. Bashore went to graduate school at the Medical College of Virginia, where he received a partial scholarship from Columbia HCA — the catalyst that started his career with the health system. He worked on the hospital side of HCA for a while after graduation and then moved to the surgery center industry in 2003, leaving briefly to join another hospital company and then coming back to HCA several years later. "HCA is a fantastic company to work for," he says. He has been with his current surgery center for about a year and a half, during which time the center has achieved three-year re-accreditation from AAAHC and increased its EBITDA. The surgery center has five ORs and three pain treatment rooms and performs approximately 550 cases a month with 44 physician partners. The center, which is owned 51 percent by HCA, recently added a breast treatment center and now performs breast procedures in its pain treatment rooms on Fridays.
Dean Brown (The Orthopaedic Center at Springhill in Mobile, Ala.). Mr. Brown has served as the CEO of Alabama Orthopaedic Clinic, a group of 20 orthopedic specialists in Mobile, for the past 11 years. For the past six years, has had a dual role as the administrator for The Orthopaedic Center at Springhill. In 2003, Mr. Brown assisted his group with negotiations for a joint venture with one of their local hospitals in the development of a 78,000-square-foot orthopedic center that included a 17,000-square-foot ASC — a 50/50 partnership between physicians and the hospital. Once the project was developed, Mr. Brown was asked by the ASC board to serve as the administrator of The Orthopaedic Center at Springhill, a four-OR, two-procedure room outpatient surgery center. The two entities employ over 300 people, and the facility is AAAHC-accredited and has been since its first year of operation in 2004. Over 6,000 cases are performed at The Orthopaedic Center annually, in specialties including orthopedics, pain management and plastic surgery. According to Mr. Brown, the center has been profitable since its first year of operation. Mr. Brown completed his CASC certification in 2006 and his CMPE certification in 2001.
Mary Ann Cooney, RN, CASC (Riverside Outpatient Surgery Center, Columbus, Ohio). Ms. Cooney is the administrator of Riverside Outpatient Surgery Center, a multi-specialty facility in central Ohio with six ORs and one minor procedure room. ROSC performs over 6,000 cases per year. The specialties at the facility, which is currently managed by Health Inventures, include general surgery, gynecology, hand orthopedics, ophthalmology, orthopedics, pain management, plastic surgery and urology. "Our philosophy is a professional service commitment, in partnership with patients, families, and other members of the health care team," Ms. Cooney says. "We believe that the ambulatory surgery patient should expect to receive cost effective, convenient, efficient care, consistent with accepted standards of practice, recognizing the patients' rights to be active participants in their plan of care." The evolution of the center began with its building and opening in 1972 by a small group of innovative physicians and in 1977 was acquired by Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio as a freestanding outpatient surgery department. The surgery center became a joint venture with OhioHealth and physicians in 1997.
Brenda Cyrulik (Eastland Medical Plaza Surgicenter in Bloomington, Ill.). Ms. Cyrulik is the administrator at the Eastland Medical Plaza Surgicenter in Bloomington, Ill., a joint venture between St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington and 26 physician-investors. The center opened in 2001 and has four ORs dedicated to multi-specialty surgery and four procedure rooms dedicated to endoscopy and pain management. The center performs an average of 7,200 procedures annually. Ms. Cyrulik has been at Eastland since 1999, when the center was fully owned by St. Joseph. Prior to coming to Eastland, she served as a surgery manager at BroMenn Medical Center in Normal, Ill., and worked for two years as a circulating staff nurse at Gailey Eye Surgicenter in Bloomington, Ill.
Tom Holecek (Palos Surgicenter in Palos Heights, Ill.). After several years of managing GI labs and medical practices in the hospital setting, Mr. Holecek became the administrator at Palos Surgicenter, managed by Regent Surgical Health, in Sept. 2007. At the time Mr. Holecek joined the center, the ASC was just realizing the benefits of a hospital joint-venture agreement established in Jan. 2007. Despite the center's early success, the facility was still lacking in several areas: Among other issues, more space was needed for quicker turnaround of cases, the waiting room needed modernizing and monitors and patient carts were "well past their useful lives," says Mr. Holecek. In Sept. 2009, after months of meetings and discussions, Mr. Holecek was able to gain consensus between the hospital landlord and the board of managers to embark on a $2 million renovation project that would take 12 months and three phases to complete.
Stuart Katz (Tucson Orthopaedic Surgery Center in Arizona). Mr. Katz will celebrate his 40th anniversary in healthcare on March 21 as executive director of the Tucson Orthopaedic Surgery Center. In his current role, Mr. Katz has helped reduce cost on a per case basis for an ACL from more than $3,000 to under $1,800 by asking surgeons to use more autografts and reduce the ASC's dependence on allografts. The ASC has worked with Tucson Medical Center for more than 44 months under a co-management agreement, a deal projected to save the hospital more than $23 million by the end of 2012 on orthopedic costs. Because of this work, the hospital is building a new four story addition which will house the Tucson Orthopaedic Institute, 24 new operating Rooms (10 of which are for inpatient and outpatient orthopedic surgery) and 40 orthopedic in-patient beds. The center has been under 40 days in A/R since 2007. In addition to his work with Tucson Orthopaedic, Mr. Katz was the founding president of the Arizona Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, for which he served as president for three years. "The new facility will make all of our lives a little easier and staff will have more options to work," he says. Prior to his current role, Mr. Katz worked as director of the Health Inventures managed Physicians Surgery Center in Daily City, Calif.
David Kelly, MBA, CASC (Samaritan North Surgery Center in Dayton, Ohio). Mr. Kelly was employed by Miami Valley Hospital, a member of Premier Health Partners, in Dayton, Ohio, prior to becoming administrator of Samaritan North Surgery Center in Dayton in late 2006. The ASC is a joint venture between Good Samaritan Hospital and local physicians and is managed by Health Inventures. "At the center, we continually strive for performance improvement by applying data-driven solutions to quality, customer satisfaction, operational and financial goals," he says. "While I am not a clinician by degree, I prefer to throw on scrubs, engage directly in the operations to get at the root cause of an issue, measure the center’s performance against both external and internal benchmarks, and identify opportunities for improvement." For example, in the past year, despite continued migration from commercial to the government payers, the center's bottom line increased 16 percent over the prior year due in part to various performance improvement initiatives to reduce bad debt by improving cash collections. Additionally, changes in the pre-admission screening process led to the reduction in hospital transfers by 18 percent without turning more patients away.
Theresa Mazzitti, MHA, MBA, CASC (Eastside Surgery Center in Columbus, Ohio). Ms. Mazzitti is the administrator of Eastside Surgery Center, a multi-specialty surgery center. The center is a joint venture between physicians and OhioHealth and is managed by Health Inventures. Ms. Mazzitti says the best aspect of her center is that surgeons and staff refuse to give up. "After 15 years, we have seen heavy competition with over 20 competing ASCs in the immediate area, and we have seen several ASCs fail because they don't think two to three years down the road," she says. "We must constantly change to be able to remain competitive and to serve the community." Part of this adaptability can be attributed to the center's culture. The staff and physicians take patient care and sound financial decision-making very seriously but still love to laugh and have fun. Ms. Mazzitti joined Eastside in Nov. 2005, but she has held positions in healthcare administration since starting her career. She served as administrative director for Consolidated Health Services in Milford, Ohio, and was practice administrator for University Orthopaedic Physicians in Columbus prior to coming to Eastside.
David Moody, RN (Knightsbridge Surgery Center in Columbus, Ohio). Mr. Moody arrived at Knightsbridge Surgery Center three months after Regent Surgical Health took over the facility in 2004. KSC is a multi-specialty center that performs urology, general surgery, gynecology, plastics, pain, colorectal and neurosurgery procedures. Four years ago, the center entered into a partnership with the Ohio Health hospital system, which currently holds a 49 percent ownership stake in KSC. During Mr. Moody's tenure with Knightsbridge, he says the center has seen two pivotal changes: the introduction of Regent Surgical Health and the partnership with Ohio Health. He says both partnerships have resulted in tremendous benefits for the center. Regent helped turn the center around into a state of profitability and top patient care, while Ohio Health assisted in achieving a predictable cash flow and cost-savings opportunities.
Anne Roberts, RN (Surgery Center of Reno, Nev.). Ms. Roberts is the administrator at the Surgery Center at Reno, a multi-specialty ASC that is owned by physician partners, a hospital partner — Saint Mary's Hospital, and a managing partner — Regent Surgical Health. Ms. Roberts came to the Surgery Center at Reno in Feb. 2006 when it opened and became administrator in Oct. 2006. She began her career as a nurse in the emergency department, spending 16 years as a staff nurse and 10 years as the manager of a busy ED. She says this experience lends itself well to the challenges faced daily in the outpatient surgery arena. "We have an outstanding staff and physician group that makes such a difference and provides excellent care to our patients," Ms. Roberts says. "It is such a pleasure to work in this facility with such great people." Vicki Webb, business manager at Surgery Center of Reno, says that Ms. Roberts "is the best boss I have ever worked for."
Tona Savoie (Bayou Region Surgery Center in Thibodaux, La.). Ms. Savoie is the administrative director of Bayou Region Surgical Center, a multi-specialty surgery center that opened in July 2007. In her time as an ASC administrator, Ms. Savoie says, "I've discovered this position to be an acquired art form. There is constant evolution and new challenges daily, which keeps my energy and interests in high gear. I am proud to be a part of this wonderful contribution to our community." Bayou Region Surgical Center is a free-standing facility with four ORs and one procedure room. Surgeons at Bayou Region specialize in orthopedics, ENT, neurology, general surgery, urology, GI, ophthalmology and pain management. The ASC operates as a 50-50 partnership between physician-investors and a subsidiary of the local community hospital, Thibodaux Regional Medical Center. It is managed by ASD Management.
Lisa Schriver, RN, CNOR (Turk's Head Surgery Center, West Chester, Pa.). Ms. Schriver is the administrator of Turk's Head Surgery Center in West Chester, Pa, a multi-specialty, freestanding surgery center that offers general surgery, GI, orthopedics, ophthalmology, ENT, urology, gynecology and podiatry. Turk's Head is a physician-hospital joint venture that opened in May 2005. Ms. Schriver started with Turk's Head in 2005 as the clinical director and moved up to become administrator. Prior to coming to the center, she had a varied career in nursing and served in various departments including OR, endoscopy and perioperative. From there, she moved to a hospital-based surgery center and became the nurse manager. She has also worked with an anesthesiologist at the hospital that joint ventures with Turk's Head. Ms. Schriver enjoys her role as an administrator because of the changing nature of her job. "Everyday is different, and I can use my sense of adventure to tackle each day. Some days this never-ending change is overwhelming, but at a basic level it really very much appeals to my personality and who I really am," she says.