Operational efficiency is one of, if not the most important aspects for physicians in a potential ASC partnership. Without it, centers can fall apart before they get off the ground.
Raleigh, N.C.-based Compass Surgical Partners takes a physician-first approach to ASC developments and partnerships, enabling physicians to cut through the administrative red tape, improve their quality of life and enhance outcomes for the patients.
Scott Bacon, senior vice president of corporate development at Compass, recently connected with Becker’s to talk about what physicians want to get out of an ASC partnership, and where some pain points can happen.
Question: What are some things physicians look for when it comes to a potential ASC partnership?
Scott Bacon: We always want to think about it from their lens first, not what’s best for Compass or the health system. These are physician-led businesses, so we’ve got to think about what are their pain points and how do we help provide a solution or value? First and foremost, we’re seeing that they really want operational efficiency. They want a center that runs seamlessly, that is much more efficient than other surgical venues in the market, whether it’s at other ASCs or hospital outpatient departments. We have decades of experience setting up that operational framework that enables the physicians to be much more efficient in our centers and in the ASC setting as a whole.
We enable physicians to make decisions in a very efficient manner, removing the bureaucracy of decision making, whether it’s related to equipment or staffing or scheduling. We’re enabling them to do more cases in the same operational time period, or even the same amount in less. One example is a joint replacement surgeon. It’s not uncommon for surgeons in our facilities to perform eight total joints in a day and be done by two o’clock. I’ve heard many of those same surgeons saying that they didn’t finish until five or six o’clock at night, doing the same amount of cases. So it’s improving that quality of life for them at the same time.
Q: What other pain points you’re hearing from physicians that Compass is helping alleviate?
SB: It’s absolutely operational efficiency. It’s enabling them to make decisions, create the operating environment that they desire and empowering them to do so. If we do this right, what we’ve seen time and time again is, if you’re able to work in tandem with your physician partners and the staff to create an environment they desire, the output of that is high quality outcomes for the patients. Patient satisfaction at ASCs is really high in these scenarios. With that comes a corresponding financial return, where all of our centers are in partnership with physician investors as well.
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.