John Petroni, managing owner at Las Vegas-based Silver State Surgery Center, joined Becker’s to discuss how his organization is carving out a competitive edge in a crowded ASC landscape and what strategic growth looks like in the years ahead.
Editor’s note: This interview was edited lightly for clarity and length.
Question: What makes Silver State Surgery Center stand out competitively?
John Petroni: With the growing number of ASCs in the market, we have tried to differentiate ourselves from the competition with multiple key factors.
1. Accreditation and licensing: We are state licensed and Medicare approved with AAAHC accreditation, providing 23-hour observation capabilities for enhanced patient care. With CMS approving many new outpatient codes to the ASC, we are looking forward to helping patients, their caregivers and physicians to have a more efficient and cost-effective healthcare environment.
2. Comprehensive insurance access.: Our goal was to partner with payers to allow patients and physicians a vast portfolio of insurance payers. This enables patients and physicians to receive care seamlessly at one facility, improving accessibility and patient care efficiency.
3. Experienced leadership: Our administrator brings 20 years of ASC experience, and our director of nursing has 25 years of experience, fostering excellent communication among staff, nursing and physicians. Because of this experience we have had very little staff turnover and a very team-oriented collaboration.
4. Physician ownership: Our physician ownership team consists of highly respected professionals who view the ASC as an extension of their practice, ensuring high-quality care and commitment. The combination of six multispecialty physicians are not only excellent physicians, but wonderful people. This helps create a very positive work environment for the entire administrative and healthcare team.
5. Partnering with the right professional services: We partner with top-respected legal counsel who brings extensive expertise, ensuring compliance and protecting our interests. We work with an experienced accounting firm that allows us to focus on effective financial management and strategic planning. We have contracted with an outside Insurance consultant to assist in contracting and strategic initiatives. Finally, we maintain a close relationship with our contracted billing company and maintain open communication and collaboration for prompt and accurate payments.
This strong foundation of teamwork and expertise enhances our ability to serve our community effectively. Together, this collaborative ecosystem allows us to provide high-quality care and operational excellence, benefitting our patients, their caregivers and staff alike.
Q: What’s next for the Silver State Surgery Center’s growth and development?
JP: The future of our ASC is filled with exciting opportunities, particularly with the upcoming implementation of the proposed additional 2026 CMS codes. These new codes will empower our existing physician specialties to deliver high-quality care directly within our center, rather than in hospital outpatient department or other traditional hospital healthcare settings. This pivotal change not only enhances patient access to essential surgical services, but also fosters a more streamlined and efficient care model, allowing patients to receive the treatment they need in a more comfortable and convenient environment. This will also significantly increase physician surgical scheduling efficiencies.
In addition to the proposed new CMS codes, we are actively exploring the addition of new specialties to our surgical offerings. Many physicians currently find themselves tethered to hospitals due to procedural reimbursement limitations. By expanding our specialties, we can create a more diverse and dynamic surgical program that meets the needs of our community and offers physicians the flexibility to practice in a more accessible setting. This evolution will not only benefit their patients but also enhance their practice offerings.
Furthermore, we are eager to integrate advanced AI technology into various aspects of our operations. By enhancing our patient communication platforms, documentation processes, verification systems, billing accuracy, and scheduling efficiencies with AI, we aim to significantly improve the overall patient experience. These technological advancements will enable us to streamline workflows, reduce administrative burdens and ensure that our focus remains squarely on delivering exceptional patient care.
The rise of robotic technology also presents an exciting frontier for our ASC. As surgical robotics continue to evolve, we are committed to exploring the incorporation of these advanced systems into our facility. By offering cutting-edge robotic platforms, we can enhance the precision and outcomes of surgical procedures, further enhancing our position as a leader in our community for outpatient surgery.
