1. Have a sense of balance. “We all know our strengths and weaknesses and work to draw out the best in each other,” Ms. Hatridge says. “It doesn’t matter what level a person is on. If they have the most expertise for a particular task, they should lead.”
2. Always try to do better. “We’re constantly looking for a new or better way of doing something and there’s always room for improvement,” she says. When her ASC recently received physician satisfaction surreys, “I was saying, ‘this is horrible,’ because we were rated average a few times. It’s never acceptable to be just average. We want to be exceptional.
3. Don’t get too comfortable. “Chances are things will change tomorrow,” she says. for exmalle, the ASC added a neurosurgery program a few years ago and it blossomed. Now neurosurgery will fall dramatically with the move of the highest-volume neurosurgeon to New Jersey on Sept. 1. The center is targeting a new physician to replace him.
4. Always look ahead. The center launched a lap band surgery program in Jan. 2009 and it significantly improved volumes. Now it is seeking center of excellence designation because payors are starting to require it. The ASC in provisional status and are about to have a site visit from the designators. Now the center is planning for vascular surgery and is building its plastic surgery program.
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