Mr. Searles has served as managing partner with Merritt for the past 10 years, during which he developed, managed and advised on dozens of surgical facilities across the U.S. He is a registered investment banking agent with Series 79 and 63 licenses.
Mr. Searles began his career in corporate finance and venture capital-backed companies. He previous served as the senior vice president of finance for a service company based in Greenwich, Conn., where he oversaw the company’s expansion from $10 million in revenue to more than $100 million, raising more than $60 million in equity capital to support growth.
Mr. Searles received his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and an MBA from Duke University in Durham, N.C.
Mr. Searles discussed strategies to negotiate in-network carve-outs in spine-focused surgery centers in an interview with Becker’s ASC Review. He said that it is important to ask for feedback if the center’s request is rejected because it is helpful to know the payor’s reasoning so that you can develop a counter-argument. Centers almost never receive an explanation, however. “We don’t get a lot of feedback,” Mr. Searles said. “When payors reject such a request, they typically make a bland statement that reveals nothing, such as, ‘Our medical director has determined that, at this point in time, it is not advisable to include these procedures on our list of coverable outpatient procedures.'”
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.
