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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Greenville, S.C., and Raleigh, N.C. – June 27, 2022 – Compass Surgical Partners announced a partnership with local physicians and Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital in Greenville, S.C. Millennium Surgery Center will offer orthopaedic, spine and ENT procedures, along with robotic outpatient joint procedures. Historically, 100% of these surgeries have been performed in the hospital.

“Millennium will bring robotic joint replacement to the regions, providing patients the highest level of care, restoring mobility and giving patients quality of life back,” said Dr. Jay Womack. “We’re excited for the efficiency, and therefore improved patient experience, this center will provide.”

Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital has been awarded a certificate of need to develop a 6 operating room and 2 procedure room ASC. The center will be 20,000 square feet on the new Millennium campus of St. Francis.

by Beth Derby

My very first surgery center was 1978, when nobody knew what an ambulatory surgery center was, including me. I was brought in long after the design had been completed. The construction had already begun, and I was asked to outfit the place, to go buy things. I suppose if that facility had failed, I would have gone back to running the Yale Recovery Room and would’ve never had a career in ASCs.

It was Temple Surgical Center in New Haven, CT. We started with 4 ORs and eventually grew to 6. The flow was awkward and the rooms small, but even then, space was used to maximize patient flow. People walked into the OR. Actually walked in!

What we didn’t know in 1978 could’ve filled 500 books. We learned with each project and then applied the experience to each of our future centers. That original company in Connecticut went on to build 6 more centers in every major city in Connecticut. The model for the facility grew over time. And since then, the model has become even more sophisticated.