The ambulatory surgery center (ASC) space is vibrant, dynamic, rife with opportunity. 这也是不可预测的, with federal and state regulations in a state of perpetual flux and health system and private equity (PE) investments changing the calculus of ASC ownership.
But if there’s one takeaway from the Becker’s Healthcare 29th Annual Meeting: The Business & 操作 of ASCs, it’s that ASCs remain poised for continuing growth. 今年的会议, 10月25日至28日在芝加哥举行的, 汇集了超过1个,000 attendees and 270-plus speakers for conversations about innovation, 中断, 以及asc在医疗生态系统中的未来.
以下是今年活动的三个主题.
1. PE在ASC领域的作用越来越大
心电图的伴侣 Jared并 joined a panel of ASC leaders and financial experts to discuss the continuing flow of PE dollars into the ASC space. They agreed that the fragmentation of the ASC market is what makes it so attractive to PE investors. 私募股权公司看到了标准化流程的机会, 创造规模经济, consolidate smaller practices to create lower-cost networks of care. 许多独立的asc和小组, 与此同时, are seeking funding to fuel growth stemming from surgery migrating from the hospital to the ASC setting.
But deciding when—or even whether—to sell or otherwise partner with a PE firm is a conundrum for many ASC owners. The panel offered several suggestions for ASC stakeholders who are contemplating a transaction:
- 确定你的目标. 未来五年是什么样子? 你在考虑退休吗?? 招聘新云顶集团40011官网? Are you handing over the business at the right inflection point? Understanding your objectives and knowing how long you want to be involved in the ASC going forward will guide your decision-making.
- 知道你要做什么. 选择合适的合作伙伴对任何交易都至关重要. 相信自己的直觉, make sure you (and everyone else involved) understand what your role will be once the deal closes.
- 明确界定云顶集团40011官网所有权. Outline the parameters of post-transaction physician ownership. 知道谁在治理和决策方面有发言权. 你会保留什么——股权? 治理? 两者的结合? PE firms can be flexible, so these are effective negotiating points.Above: 心电图的伴侣 Jared并 (far left) joins a panel discussing private equity investment in ASCs.
2. 需要一个长期的ASC战略
会议上弥漫着一种紧迫感. Health system leaders and ASC owners are jostling for position in an environment marked by accelerating surgery migration, 人力资源短缺, 报销减少. Everyone wants to make decisions today that will ensure the ensure the sustainability of their organizations tomorrow.
但仓促做出企业定义性的决定也有其风险. In session after session, speakers emphasized the need for a long-term ASC strategy.
- Naya Kehayes, 他是心电图合伙人,也是公司ASC业务的负责人, warned during an executive roundtable that not thinking enough about your future ASC strategy can challenge future partnerships and expansion opportunities.
- 在同一个会议上, Jared并 cautioned against locking your organization into a limiting transaction by not thinking in terms of a broader ASC plan. Just because other health systems in your region are bidding on an ASC that’s for sale doesn’t necessarily mean you need to be in on it too. 它是否符合你的整体战略? 它能适应你的成长计划吗? Answering such questions is more important than rushing into a deal.
Above, L-R: 心电图显示布莱斯·米勒,娜亚·凯海斯和杰瑞德·朗格斯
其他的外卖:
- 确保你有案卷. Are you in a position where your hospital ORs are full and you can backfill cases? If not, Naya explained, decanting procedure volume to an ASC could cripple your organization.
- 让主要的医师领导参与治理. Naya also emphasized the need to gain physicians’ trust by involving them in governance. When physicians can elect a leader who will have a seat at the table, 他们知道他们将在未来的决策中有发言权.
3. 付款人的痛苦
Not a single session seemed to go by without a few comments about the challenges of working with payers. Attendees and speakers alike lamented relationships that had become contentious and processes that had become opaque. Several people noted that with many payers now using online portals for communication, just getting in touch with an actual human being at a health plan has become a feat unto itself.
Above, L-R: 心电图显示艾米·科莱蒂,凯文·道迪和马特·基尔顿
But that doesn’t mean that negotiations between ASCs and payers can’t be productive. 心电图 ASC团队的几位成员马特Kilton, 艾米Coletti, 凯文寒酸的—led a discussion on managed care strategy and succeeding in contracting in ASCs. 他们的一些建议很突出:
- 用数据武装自己. 健康计划非常注重数据, the best way to negotiate with them is to come to the table with your own data. 带上在你的ASC进行的程序的数据. Bring any regional data you have that demonstrates the value your ASC provides. And be prepared to educate the health plan, as necessary, on the story the data tells.
- 一切都是关系驱动的. 凯文寒酸的 remarked that if you don’t know the name of your local payer rep, 这是你的第一个错误. 艾米Coletti noted that establishing a rapport with payer reps can make for an easier conversation. A good relationship alone won’t necessarily translate to better rates, but it can give you insights into the nuances of a negotiation.
- 不要让合同搁置. Kevin urged attendees to renegotiate a contract every time it comes up for renewal. 即使名义上的加息也会累积起来. If several renewal cycles go by without the contract being touched, the payer won’t make up for lost time by offering significant rate increases.
你参加了2023年贝克尔的ASC会议吗? 告诉我们你的想法.
出版于2023年11月5日