As more procedures become available in the ASC and patient preferences skew increasingly toward outpatient settings, ASC leaders are weighing which specialties or service lines will be the best positioned for development in the coming years.
Two ASC leaders recently joined Becker’s to discuss their process for considering service line expansions.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Tina DiMarino, RN. CEO of Custom Surgical Consultants and member of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association’s Education and Membership Committees (Street, Md.): Do your homework. Use a detailed financial plan and a practical assessment. Analyze the plan and determine if the new service line or expansion will deliver a return on investment. This means getting realistic estimates of patient volume and the revenue those cases will bring in. In addition, understand all the associated costs. This process often uncovers hidden expenses for necessary equipment, specialized instruments or single-use supplies. If the service line is in a new specialty to the center, bringing in a consultant or working with a colleague is a smart move to ensure no detail is missed.
Thomas Jeneby, MD. Plastic Surgeon in San Antonio: What is the temperament of the new physicians? Are they “needy” with a ton of requests for expensive equipment or supplies? Do you have a nurse or tech that has done these before (ask around – you would be surprised)?
The recovery of these patients — are there nuances to it? Again — [do] any nurses have experience with those types of patients? Hire a champion part-time if not.
How long is that doctor going to operate there so you can pay back the equipment cost? Can you rent or have vendors bring them in? Beware the “jumping” surgeon or physician who leaves the surgi-center over the slightest issue!
