According to Mr. Redler, if you think your facility is outdated, the first question you need to ask yourself is whether to refurbish an existing facility or relocate to a new facility. If you decide to relocate, you need to remember that the stakes are high and there are significant upsides and downsides. The entire process of building and opening a new facility requires discipline and precision in planning and execution. “The people you surround yourself with while you do this become very important,” he said. They need to be experienced and dedicated. Here are five tips for surgery center leaders who want to relocate to a new facility:
1. Involve the staff. “Their buy-in is key,” said Mr. Redler. Talk to your staff and establish a wish list. The wish list ensures that the staff remains involved and their wants are met. Sometimes the items on the wish list may come as a surprise, but they add to staff satisfaction, which is key for the success of the project. For example, on the wish list for the new facility of The OSM Center was a full-length mirror in the lobby.
2. Involve the vendors. Ultimately, you want a surgery center to be state-of-the-art, and you want it to have things that hospitals and other ASCs do not have. “Work with your vendors ahead of time to get the latest technology,” said Mr. Redler.
3. Cost will increase. According to Mr. Redler, the original estimate for the OSM surgery center was $5.5 million. It ended up costing $7 million. “The cost will increase, but you have to be able to justify it,” he said.
4. Involve a local architect as well as the state department of public health at all levels. Local architects have an idea of state regulations, which can often pose challenges, and hence, contracting a local architect or at least having a local architect consult on the project is a good idea, said Mr. Redler. Also, local architects can help you form relationships with key players in the state’s department of health. This helps in avoiding pitfalls in the long run.
5. Have a move-in and opening day plan. The plan needs to be efficient and precise. Have the staff come in and help out, suggested Mr. Redler. If you create a plan and stick to it, the actual physical relocation process will be smooth.
“We created a place where patients want to be,” said Mr. Redler. “And surgeons also want to work in a place that makes them look good. So despite the high price tag, our patient volume has gone up. If you build a place that people want to come to, you will see the profits.”
