Here are five key points:
1. State regulators allowed the surgery center to add the operating room without requiring certificate-of-need approval.
2. The Surgery Center of Kenai’s second OR will help alleviate much of the backlog in cases as the demand for outpatient surgery increases, according to the Clarion.
3. The Surgery Center of Kenai’s second OR has an expected cost of about $678.38.
4. Kenai-based Central Peninsula Hospital, a community-owned hospital, says the surgery center’s second OR will hurt the hospital financially. The hospital declined a transfer agreement with the surgery center in 2014.
5. Harold Gear, the ASC’s vice president of outpatient surgery, said to the Clarion in 2014,”The hospitals are huge organizations that are very expensive, and they’re expensive because all these different pieces of it are running parts that cost money. Our Surgery Center of Kenai is not a ginormous beast. It’s a lot smaller, a lot scaled-back. That’s what helps save costs.”
More articles on surgery centers:
New York ASCs band together to prepare for healthcare’s changes
ASC investors, Vermont hospitals clash again regarding investor meeting with regulators: 5 things to know
Excela Health CEO outlines future outpatient strategy, including new $40M center: 4 key notes
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.