For both hospitals and ASCs, inflation continues to push labor and supply costs upward, and reimbursements aren’t keeping up.
As practice costs continue to rise and provider shortages persist, some hospitals have been forced to close clinics.
On March 1, Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic Health System announced it will not reopen its clinic in Janesville, Minn. The clinic temporarily closed in August from staffing issues.
In February, Grand River Medical Group’s Cascade (Iowa) Clinic closed following a round of layoffs. Additionally, Little Rock-based Arkansas Heart Hospital closed one clinic and Wagener (S.C.) Medical Center announced it will close indefinitely March 14.
ASCs have the opportunity to expand outpatient services when hospitals close clinics in their area. They could also see an increase in patients and a new potential labor pool.
“As hospitals evaluate and close or ramp down in specific service lines, it can be a real opportunity for ASCs to capture new volume in a variety of specialties,” Jennifer Misajet, RN, interim chief nursing officer at Fresno, Calif.-based Saint Agnes Medical Center, told Becker’s in November. “Surgical patient volume in many specialties continues to migrate safely and appropriately to an ambulatory approach in both ASCs and hospitals. While service expansion may require ASCs to purchase specialty equipment and train staff, selectively focusing on growing volumes in specialties moving out of acute care can make sense for the revenue, productivity and utilization of the ASC.”
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.