“Recently, the reason [to pursue a joint venture] is that the physicians want the hospital’s more generous payor contracts,” she says. “This has resulted in a different mindset regarding the percentage of ownership between hospitals and physicians, as the payors typically won’t look at using the hospital’s more favored contracts unless the hospital has ‘controlling interest,’ which is typically related to 51 percent or more ownership. The challenge is that these physicians have been counseled in the past to push for more ownership in order to have more control.”
She said that most often, this results in an operating agreement giving physicians more control while preserving the powers the hospital needs to prove to the payors that they deserve higher rates.
At Executive Solutions for Healthcare, Ms. Peterson is responsible for helping to design, develop and manage surgery centers and related healthcare facilities. She has worked as a consultant to health systems and has served as corporate director of development for HealthSouth and executive director for ambulatory care for The Joint Commission.
Ms. Peterson is a noted expert on ASC management and finances and has been published in several national publications. Her areas of expertise include the design, development and operational management of new business and product lines, mergers and acquisitions in the ambulatory service sectors for independent practices, groups, hospitals and integrated delivery systems.
Read more on notable surgery center leaders:
–ASC Industry Leader to Know: Dr. William Lahners of the Center for Sight
