Surgery centers today are experiencing even more pressure to reduce spending and improve quality of care than they did only a couple of years ago.
The emergence of consumerism, challenges with reimbursement for new procedures entering the ASC space, and increased competition from other players in the industry entering the ASC market are changing the healthcare environment. ASCs must continually drive operational improvements to stay competitive – and a strong distributor relationship can help them do that.
ASCs can lean into their distributor to help drive operational improvements. Here are 3 areas a distributor can help with:
1. Logistics
When I’m working with a customer, I always look at their logistics first to ensure their facility’s operations and supply chain function efficiently. I believe it’s imperative for busy surgery centers to use the logistical expertise of their distributor as a resource to make their day-to-day operations run as smoothly as possible.
2. Clinical operations
Once we are sure the operations are managed well, I look to improve clinical efficiencies. At Cardinal Health, we leverage our clinical team, made up of former perioperative nurses, to complete clinical assessments that diagnose inefficiencies, find unnecessary expenses and provide solutions to cut costs without affecting patient care.
3. Tracking progress
Finally, make sure your distributor is using a cost-to-serve model. This provides transparency so you can easily see the value the partnership is driving.
Work with your distributor to create mutually agreed upon goals and share your vision with them. By leaning into them to help tackle the operational challenges in your facility you’ll free up more time to focus on patient care. To learn more about the resources Cardinal Health has available for ASCs, visit cardinalhealth.com/surgerycenter.