A significant driver of the ASC markets’ growth in the last year is patient preference. ASCs often present a more affordable, convenient and comfortable alternative to hospitals for outpatient procedures — and leaders are keen to double down on that strength by further refining patient experience.
Four ASC leaders recently joined Becker’s to discuss the changes they have made to enhance patient experience in the last year.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
What’s the most important thing your ASC has done in the last year to improve patient experience?
Michael Boblitz. CEO of Athens (Ga.) Orthopedic Clinic: Athens Orthopedic Clinic embraces the purpose of “Specialization Matters” to drive industry-leading clinical outcomes. Our organization has had specialized physician clinics for 60 years, and our network of Therapy Centers reflects a similar focus with the Hand Therapy Center, the Sports Medicine Therapy Center, and the Joint Replacement and Spine Therapy Center.
In October, our “Specialization Matters” purpose evolved to the AOC Ambulatory Surgery Centers Division with the opening of the Spine and Joint Replacement Center. This is the first private ASC of its kind in the state of Georgia. The new ASC is uniquely positioned to—finally—address employer frustrations with high medical costs, while offering patients the much-improved patient experience that they deserve in comparison to a traditional hospital setting.
Thomas Jeneby, MD. Plastic Surgeon in San Antonio: By improving the experience to the physicians who then sing the praises of the ASC. Our customers are more the physicians than the patients. If we do not help the surgeons with flexible scheduling, add-ons, and minimizing penalties, then patients will not come in.
Andrew Lovewell. CEO of Columbia (Mo.) Orthopaedic Group: One of the most important things our ASC did in the last year was to add a digital arrival tool—One Medical Passport—to assist in the check-in process. This allows our patients greater access to manage their health information and creates efficiency for our staff with the pre-arrival process.
Allison Stock, RN. COO of Surgical Management Professionals (Sioux Falls, S.D.): We’ve focused on making the experience easier and more predictable for patients. That means clearer communication before surgery, fewer surprises on the day of care, and better coordination between clinical and front-office teams. When patients know what to expect and feel well-prepared, everything goes more smoothly—for them and for the care team. Those small, practical improvements have had the biggest impact.
