As we plan for 2023, ASCs are doing themselves a disservice by continuing to chart on paper. Between the increased utilization of the ASC space for surgical care and the ever-growing need to communicate patient information across all avenues of care, it’s getting harder and harder to continue the argument against implementing an EHR.

Here are five common roadblocks it’s time to overcome, written by Kelli McMahan, VP of Facility Development at Compass Surgical Partners and Maura Cash, RN, BSN, CASC, VP of Clinical Strategies at HST Pathways.

1. There is no federal mandate.
   Unfortunately, this is true, but you should not put any stock into a federal mandate as there are so many cultural drivers that matter more than a federal mandate. Your patients expect to be able to view and access their charts. Your staffing shortages will only increase if you tell a 28-year-old clinical provider that they must chart on paper. You’ll never be able to negotiate better rates with your payers if you cannot prove positive outcomes. The list goes on – so disregard the lack of a federal mandate and consider your staff and patients!

Raleigh, NC // October 26, 2022 – Compass Surgical Partners (Compass), an independent, full-service ASC management partner, expands its team to help hospital and surgeon partners deliver the highest quality surgical care.

Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are freestanding surgical facilities that serve as a convenient, low-cost, same-day surgery option for patients. The case migration from inpatient to outpatient settings has accelerated, with the ASC market continuing to grow rapidly. To that end, Compass further expands its expert team to help partners optimize operational and growth strategies and thereby improve the lives of both patients and providers.

“As providers search for better surgical environments and patients search for high-quality outpatient care, we’re investing in additional resources to increase operational excellence and benefit our partners in our mutual quest to deliver high-performance partnerships,” said Compass CEO DJ Hill.

By Stacy LaLonde

The managed care landscape is constantly changing. Because of that, neglecting to renegotiate contracts can result in missed revenues and lost value long-term for your ASC. Knowing that payers will never approach you to give you higher rates, it’s up to the ASC to re-engage in negotiation to drive additional value to the ASC. This post gives 3 reasons to update your ASC contracts.

If the contract has not been evaluated in more than three years:

ASCs must review payer reimbursement rates frequently, otherwise they risk missing revenue opportunities. One change requiring review is payer guidelines that reduce payments, which may increase the accounts-received (A/R) balances. Working with payers to ensure receipt of the contracted revenue can require ongoing dialogue. Ensure contracts that may have previously ignored cost-of-living (COLA) increases are re-opened to not only improve on old rates, but also amended to add increases so that the contract performance remains current and adequate each year.

Raleigh, NC // September 15, 2022 – Compass Surgical Partners (Compass), an independent, full-service ASC developer and manager, expands its team to help hospital and surgeon partners navigate a rapidly changing ASC landscape.

Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are freestanding surgical facilities that serve as a convenient, low-cost, same-day-surgery surgery option for patients. The case migration from inpatient to outpatient settings has accelerated, with the ASC market continuing to grow rapidly. To that end, Compass further expands its expert team to help partners successfully design, launch, and operate optimal outpatient strategies.

“Given the positive market reception to our proven high-performance partnership model, we believe this investment in additional resources will benefit our partners in our mutual quest to positively improve patients’ lives,” said Compass CEO DJ Hill.

Whether you have an ASC partner or you’re trying to do it on your own, getting IT involved early in the development process is essential.

Years ago, ASCs were developed by generalists. Now professionals create formal mock-ups of every wall in every room in every facility. There are experts in floorplan to maximize clinical flow; in engineering to meet airflow and pressure needs; in equipment for purchasing according to a specific project’s needs; and in IT to ensure the ASC is efficient and secure.

A huge consideration for new ASCs is the breadth of experience and scope of work of an IT provider. An experienced ASC IT provider will understand both general and specific needs for ASCs and will have the ability to execute on those needs. A partner in IT can help you with