ASD Management: How a private firm with decades of experience can improve your ASC

ASD Management is a consulting, operations and management firm concentrating on the ambulatory surgery center market, with a portfolio that includes 24 ambulatory surgery centers currently under management. The national company has corporate headquarters located in Dallas, Texas with offices in the metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, California and Tampa, Florida.

Founded in 1986 by Robert and Joseph Zasa, ASD Management combines personalized service through a boutique and hands on style management approach with substantive resources. This allows us to provide detailed expertise while at the same time, utilizing our size and resources to effectively manage our ASCs.

ASD Management is distinguished as a true operations firm, which embraces a defined and proven system. This system includes: 1) clinical operations and patient care, 2) enterprise risk management, 3) managed care contracting; and 4) business office operations. The firm offers a customized management approach that perpetuates a boutique and intimate style of management. The firm’s private status begets a management model that facilitates personalized time/attention between the facility and the management support team emphasizing each of the four fundamental focus areas. The controlled size of the organization provides the focus and resources necessary to effectively provide the requisite experts and also support economies of scale to a surgery center project. The customized management approach also serves to support an intimate business relationship with the managing partner of the firm who would oversee the responsibilities of the project.

ASD Management can assist in all phases of ambulatory care including:

• Strategic planning regarding structuring and joint venturing ambulatory care facilities;
• Strategic planning and operational analysis for ambulatory facilities;
• Pre-development;
• Turn-key development;
• Joint ownership arrangements; and
• Ongoing management.

The organization achieves measurable results through personalized service complimented with management expertise and resources. ASD Management dedicates a senior-level team of specialists with a skill set to provide the level and intensity of support necessary to affect the success of the project. The client has the option to meet our professional staff assigned to the project prior to the engagement.

Collaboration with ASD Management (principals/support team) provides:

• Access to senior leadership and management expertise while the client maintains autonomy and local control;
• Leadership with expertise in developing, joint venturing and structuring successful partnerships between physicians and health systems;
• The development of a management system that controls operating expenses and ensures proper protocols, procedures, and practices;
• The experience to plan, build and operate various freestanding ambulatory care centers, ambulatory surgery facilities, and other ambulatory care businesses in diverse, geographic locations; and
• A plan to cultivate a positive image with the employees, the community and physicians through outreach and communication activities.

Our firm was founded and is owned by two brothers: Joe Zasa and Robert Zasa. Both have extensive industry acumen. The firm has planned, developed and managed over 150 successful ambulatory care businesses and surgery centers in the United States.

Joe is a graduate of Washington and Lee University School of Law, following an undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama. For the last 24 years, he has been intimately involved with planning, financing, structuring, developing and managing ambulatory surgery centers. He speaks frequently on ASC management, has written numerous articles and has been quoted in all major ASC publications. Previously, Joe served as president of the Texas Ambulatory Surgery Society and on its board of directors.

Bob is an alumnus of the University of Alabama Birmingham where he earned a Masters of Science degree in hospital and health administration, and continues as an adjunct faculty member. He is a graduate of the certificate program in medical marketing at UCLA School of Business where he continues as a guest lecturer. In the 1990s, he founded and presided over the operations of Premier Ambulatory Systems, and was recognized as CEO of one of the top 500 fastest growing private companies in the United States, ranked sixth in the nation for its growth in three years and earning $35 million in revenues (INC Magazine). He is a fellow in the American College of Medical Practice Executives, frequent lecturer, author and member of several editorial boards. He was a member of the board of directors of the Medical Group Management Association, and president of its Ambulatory Surgery Management Society.

In 2015, the founders of the company wrote the first comprehensive book on ASC operations titled Developing and Managing Ambulatory Surgery Centers. Both gentlemen felt there was a gap in the conversation about a systematic approach for developing and managing ASCs. Many articles have been published every year, but few describe a proven, systemic approach written by people who are successful developers and operators of surgery centers. There was a need to present all elements of ASC operations in one text. This belief, along with their long-time ASC experience, was the genesis of the book. Many experts in the field assisted with the development of the book. Their invaluable input provides a unique insider perspective.

The central theme of the book is defining the operational functions of an ASC that support its prime directive: exceptional patient care and safety. Just as in building a house where one must lay a solid foundation, the authors feel that the foundation of an ASC dedicated to patient care and safety must be a supporting operational system. While no two ASCs are the same, and each has its own personality, all must operate using a solid operational system. While the operational system is the foundation, the people responsible for patient care (physicians, anesthesia providers, clinical and business office staff and management) are the walls that bind. The system described in the book begets structure and attracts the right people who, in turn, establish a pathway to developing a winning culture. The result is increased profitability and a surgery center providing access to affordable and more personalized care for the community. Additionally, the book describes effective leadership of ASCs, how to hire staff, engage surgeons and work with anesthesia and goes into detail on how to plan a de-novo ASC. With contributions from several co-authors the book concludes with lessons learned from our 30+ years operating surgery centers and sets forth a pragmatic approach to operating ambulatory surgery centers.

With a team of involved physicians providing sufficient volume to the center-and an organizational structure that equitably aligns all stakeholders developing and implementing a proven operational system gives the ASC its best chance to be economically successful.

This article is sponsored by ASD Management.

 

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