John Gizdic, executive vice president and COO of Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health, is eyeing pathways to care expansion while balancing shifting reimbursement and policy dynamics in healthcare, turning to ambulatory care as one solution.
The system aims to more than double its number of ASCs in the next three to five years, reaching up to 50 surgery centers.
“We’ve made a strong push into outpatient care, including freestanding imaging centers, ambulatory surgery centers, infusion centers and more recently, care-at-home programs,” he told Becker’s. “Patients tend to prefer these settings, and they’re more cost-effective when appropriate.”
Investments in technology have also been critical to Novant’s outpatient strategy. Its AI-powered telestroke program has reduced door-to-needle time to 14 minutes, helping minimize stroke-related disability. Extending that tool to rural hospitals has reduced unnecessary transfers by 92%.
Novant also launched a 24/7 virtual care network for impacted communities following Hurricane Helene.
“Faster treatment leads to better recovery and reduced long-term disability, which also lowers the overall cost of care,” Mr. Gizdic said. “These are just a few of the innovative ways we’re working to bridge care gaps — in everyday situations and in the most difficult circumstances.”
