He cautioned that some ASCs look at high results, such as 97 percent patient satisfaction, and figure they don’t have to improve that number. However, governing bodies should always strive to improve their benchmarks. After making an assessment of the ASC, data should be reported to the governing body and be present in the minutes from that meeting.
“An important reason for doing this is to improve quality in the organization,” he said. “Determine whether you are really getting better from one period to the next and identify opportunities for doing even better.”
When looking at financial benchmarks, ASCs can figure out whether they have enough full time employees for the volume of work being done at the ASC. On the other hand, the ASC may have more FTEs than average for their situation, but this isn’t necessarily a reason for alarm. Think about why your operations might require higher FTE and consider conducting a quality improvement study to see where the center might be able to tighten up some processes.
Mr. Goehle recommended ASCs form a separate finance committee to report on financial benchmarks at least quarterly.
Related Articles on ASCs:
Central Piedmont Surgery Center to Open in North Carolina Next Week
7 Traits to Make Your Surgery Center More Attractive to Physicians
What are the Most Common Surgery Center Subspecialties?
