“What’s Scaring You About The Future of ASCs”

Erik Sunset: [00:00:00] Hello and welcome back. I’m Erik sunset, your host and the DocBuddy journal here at DocBuddy. We deliver health care. Solutions to take the pain and cost out of broken workflows. Like with our op note solution, which gives ASCs and their affiliated clinics, the power. At instantly generated operative reports, all approved from the point of care. You can learn more about op note and all of our solutions at docbuddy.com. So welcome back.

Erik Sunset: It’s a little bit of a break in tendency here. Here. This is our first solo show in a little while. And. We have really had some fantastic guests. Join us over the last few months. Uh, most recently we had Tim Burnie, the CEO. Of Advantium when a doc buddies newest partners would highly encourage you. To listen to that episode.

Erik Sunset: Prior to that, we had guests like Dr. Dan Blumenthal. Paul is the chief quality officer at CBA USA. Join us. And he actually joined us for a second time. Uh, so while it. Maybe a little bit of a let down, not to have an expert on the show today. It’s still going to be a good [00:01:00] one for ya. And before we get into. To the core topic, which is around. Uh, ASC sounding the. Alarm on mounting threats.

Erik Sunset: Uh, I want to let you. No, where you can catch DocBuddy through the end of the 2020. For roadshow season. Um, starting next week. We will be at the 30th annual meeting of. The business and operation of ASC, which is a Becker’s healthcare event. Vent that one is happening October 30th through November 2nd. And speaking of breaks and tendency up until. Fairly recently, all of the Becker’s events were happening at the Swiss hotel. In Chicago. Uh, this event, the business and operations of ASC. Is taking place at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. So a lot of great events at the Swiss hotel.

Erik Sunset: We know this one will be a good one, too. And then following the 30th annual. Meeting of the business and operations of AFCs, which is October 30th through. Through [00:02:00] November 2nd. Uh, that next week we will be in Butte. Beautiful to Layla Washington for the Washington ambulatory surgery. The center associations. 2024 annual education. Conference and trade show that one is happening November 7th. Seventh through eighth at the Tulalip resort and spa and Tulalip, Washington. And that’ll do it.

Erik Sunset: That is all of the doc Woody road show wrapped. Wrapped up for 2024. And then 2025 is right around the corner of soul. Of course let you know where it will be next year, but if you’re going. To be at either the Becker’s ASC events or the washing. Washington ambulatory surgery center association event. Send. An email over to sales@dockbuddy.com.

Erik Sunset: You can set up a dedicated time to meet with. A member of our team. Of course, you’re always welcome to just drop by the booth. There’s a really. Really good chance that we’ll have a Celsius with your name. I’m on it. Um, to come by and grab a refreshment chat with DocBuddy team. Checkout op note, check out all of our solutions. [00:03:00] Um, and that will be. That.

Erik Sunset: So we look forward to seeing you there. And now turning our attention to. The core of the episode. Uh, these, this Becker’s ASC article.

Erik Sunset: sound the alarm on mounting threats. And the, the question that they asked their panel or their responses. Is what scares you for the future of AFCs and why?

Regular listeners of the dock buddy journal. Journal or even if you’re just plugged into the ASC space, none of these are going to be a surprise. Prize, but one thing that was pretty interesting to me. Uh, was around how dire their responses were kind of how grim the. The responses, uh, words of this prompt.

So again, what scares you for the future? and why, you know, earlier in the year we were kind. Recognizing there’s a staffing shortage where recognizing. Uh, reimbursement headwinds. We’re recognizing the rise in cost. Cost of doing business. Uh, but as we are here, In Q4 of 2024. [00:04:00] So this is today’s October 24th.

When we’re recording. This, the responses are more, more than just. We’re keeping an eye on it. It’s more along the lines of something needs to be done about. About this, and I would tend to agree. And when you look at the, there were seven responder. Fondants all gave sort of a, a paragraph or two’s worth of. The response, you know, the rising cost of doing business was concerned.

Echoed. By many, uh, but then the reimbursement challenges, staffing. Staffing shortages, a lack of anesthesiologists. And regulatory. Red tape. These are all sort of echoed throughout each of the respondents. Once. And when you look at the rising costs and reimbursement. Challenges. Um, obviously this is a primary concern for AFCs. And reading into the show.

I invoked Tim Burney, uh, CEO. Over a partner advancing. Um, if costs and implant supply. Applies. And the management thereof is an issue for your ASC. It’s something you think you can do better with? I would highly, highly recommend. And that you [00:05:00] connect with the team at advanced Sian. TelomErik sent you to let him, let him. No.

You heard about it on the podcast. Now listen to his show, which I believe is the most recent episode prior to this one. They can help you get your arms around. Uh, case profitability and managing costs of supplies and implants. But post COVID. I mean, COVID spiked the price of all. All across the supply chain. And really increased operational. Demand staff to manage that supply chain a lot more closely than maybe. You had to in the past. Um, Despite, you know, An ever increasing demand for outpatient procedures. Uh, both with an eye towards the increasing cost for ASC. And. And declining reimbursement. Uh, the current landscape really. Favors the hospitals over these smaller and potentially. Independent ASC. Or even . He’s operated by a management company. Um, and the imbalance here. Is making it tough to stay competitive for. For certain procedures, if not all procedures [00:06:00] for ASC. Yeah. They’re good.

If they’re getting a lower payment for the same procedures, the hospitals are billing. For. There’s something out of alignment. There there’s something regulatory. Tori, uh, out of alignment there, because when you look at the ASC being. The win-win win for the patient, the provider and the. Payer. Um, if people don’t have access to procedures, At the ASC because the hospital pays more. Something needs to be done. Uh, clearly. And then looking towards. One of the top. Responses across all the national surveys around. Burnout for workforce shortages. These are. I mean, this is mission critical.

I mean, Uh, as an ASC, you can sort of. Get by with really thin head count, maybe for your front desk and your reception area. Area. Wouldn’t be ideal, but you could kind of stretch there. You can’t stretch. Uh, lack of anesthesiologist. You can’t stretch to cover that you have no anesthesia coverage. You can’t stretch. Stretch to cover.

If you don’t have any [00:07:00] nurses or sterile texts or folks with a. You know, more hands-on on the clinical side of things. That’s not something that you can work around. Um, so that again, really common. Reframed through this whole year. Um, but when you’re operating as. An ASC with a smaller team then that hospital, and you’re finding it hard. To attract, hire and retain talent when that health. System or that hospital is able to potentially pay more potentially. To be able to offer better benefits. Uh, there’s an answer to. This, but it does make it. A very strong headwind, indeed.

That there’s more. More attractive, uh, employer, just down the road from you. Um, but it comes down to culture and early comes down to operating an ASC as effective.

I do want to point out, you’ve heard us talk about. This on the show before the AFCs are obviously doing more with less staffing. Thing than they’ve ever had and ever had to operate. Uh, that way. Before.

It’s not self-inflicted that [00:08:00] the hiring. Market is as tough as it is or that the talent pool is as narrow and. Shallow as it is, but there are still some things that you can do as an ASC. And obviously I’m a little bit biased cause DocBuddy prides one of these solutions. But until fairly recently, there’s been really little. Adoption of meaningful digital workflows in the ASC. And that’s where DocBuddy comes in with op Note that essentially every phase. of labor at the ASC that is a part of that operative. report supply chain. Whether that’s the surgeon who is creating. Them and approving them.

And then they go to the. administrator to verify that they’re signed and completed, they go to the billing. team to verify that they’re signed and created and then that claim can actually enter the revenue cycle. With DocBuddy Op note you’re removing all of that paper chasing, um, Even the distribution of completed operative reports to the clinic.

Um, We’re able to give the provider the workflow that they really like and that they prefer. which is dictation and that’s of [00:09:00] course, over their EHR over. Using something like dragon into a word document, which is just crazy. But we still see it. And we’re still replacing that process across the country with op. Note. Uh, but you’re able to give that surgeon, the workflow, they really like. And digitize the outcome for the rest of the downstream stakeholders. And there’s even implications here for your I-pads, your immediate post-operative. Operative notes. That if you’ve got a fully fleshed out, completed and signed. The operative reports, you’re able to remove that step from your process. That’s step being, uh, the iPod.

Um, so as. As these AFCs face workforce shortages, there are things that you can. Can do, and I would encourage you to listen to a prior episode of the show with Todd courier. Courier the CEO of Ben surgery center, where he talks a lot about culture. Um, and acknowledges that, you know, there’s always going to be somebody that can pay. Pay you more, but are they doing the same job in the same environment?

Did they get the same perks? Perks and fringe benefits that exist at the ASC for employees. Well, no, they [00:10:00] don’t. Um, not if you’re working at the hospital. So while. Again, let’s acknowledge the headwind of workforce shortages. There are, uh, Cultural things that you can implement at your ASC. As we’ll test technology, as well as technology that you can implement to ease some of these workforce.

So what would I do with the magic wand? I want to, uh, to ease some of these headwinds that ASTs are flying into. Um, well, I want to start with a quote from the article. This is Joe Peluso. Uh, administrator at S S teak surgical center. Center up there in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Um, and I’ll paraphrase here by the overall. Overall rising costs are expected to grow approximately 8%. By 20, 25 due to ongoing inflationary pressures as well. As evolving regulatory demands AFCs are being forced to do. Do more with less the delays and payers moving to fare. And equitable site, neutral payments and CMS being slow. So to transition more procedures that can be safely performed in the [00:11:00] ASC. Um, and quote, there. Uh, this isn’t something you’ll normally hear. We say on the dock buddy journal, but now is the time where you can solve some. Some problems with the stroke of a pen. And when you have these sites. It’s not neutral payments happening where the hospital is reimbursed at such a higher rate. Rate yet we’re seeing as good or better patient outcomes. For the same procedure, uh, when the procedure is done at the ASC. Again, something’s out of alignment there. Uh, the payer, the provider, and. The patient should all be clamoring to have the procedures done.

Had the ASC. When they can. And I certainly don’t have any, um, clinical. Input on this, but if you are. If you qualify to have procedures done at. The ASC, there should be no reason. There should be no economic reason that you shouldn’t be able. To have it done there. Um, so let’s get that right. At a regulatory. Tori and a law since the word.

And with that, I think we’re in a spot to close out this. Uh, episode, um, as [00:12:00] usual, we’ll ask that you subscribe to. The doc put a journal on apple podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. You can also get the newest episodes of the show on our sites, doc, putting.com. Slash blog, be sure that you’re following doc, buddy on LinkedIn.

So the Joe. We always stay up to date with all the news and developments from doc, buddy. And on behalf. Half of the entire team. I want to say thank you for listening and we will catch you.