Reduce costs and improve efficiency
1. Staffing:
- Cross-train staff
- Use per diem staff
- Job share, particularly in the business and billing office
- Hire people with ASC experience, which reduces training costs because these staff understand the ASC culture
- Manage overtime and use of agency staff
2. Supply and equipment:
- Work with physicians to limit variation in supplies and equipment
- Join one or more group purchasing organizations
- Consider buying used equipment, as opposed to new equipment
- Consider leasing, as opposed to buying, equipment when appropriate
- Negotiate supply costs as part of the final agreement when purchasing equipment
3. Operating room schedule:
- Eliminate gaps in the schedule
- Use block scheduling often and effectively
- Monitor block and room utilization
- Adjust room use based on average cases per day
- Keep delays to a minimum to prevent staff downtime
Recruit physicians
- Market your facility to physicians. Promote your value, including skill of staff, location, efficiency, lower patient-out-of-pocket costs, and physician involvement in decision-making (particularly regarding supply and equipment purchases).
- Recruit complementary physicians. These can include podiatry, orthopedic surgeons, and pain specialists.
- Share patient and physician satisfaction statistics.
Boost profits
- Know your cost per case
- Add profitable specialties
- Add ‘like’ specialties to maximize the use of equipment and best use of skilled staff
- Use certified coders who are familiar with ASC reimbursement
- Manage payor and supplier contracts, renegotiating reimbursement to keep pace with changes in the economic environment
- Eliminate waste and redundancy in key processes
Learn more about Menomonee Falls Ambulatory Surgery Center.
At the Becker's 23rd Annual Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC + The Future of Spine Conference, taking place June 11-13 in Chicago, spine surgeons, orthopedic leaders and ASC executives will come together to explore minimally invasive techniques, ASC growth strategies and innovations shaping the future of outpatient spine care. Apply for complimentary registration now.
