Augusto Alinea, MD, medical director of the Ambulatory Surgery Center of Stevens Point, discusses three common physician complaints and how to approach them.
1. Scheduling dilemmas. According to Dr. Alinea, the biggest complaint from ASC physicians generally relates to scheduling problems. "I'm one of the physicians that does procedures, so I guess I can speak firsthand: we like to do our cases at a convenient time," he says. "To do that for each and every provider in the ASC is rather difficult, so we need to have blocked time and schedule the OR efficiently, such that people are not delayed." He says problems with scheduling waste providers' time and will ultimately anger your physicians.
2. Slow turnover times. Dr. Alinea says physicians can also become frustrated if turnover times are inefficient at your ASC. ASCs, which are naturally more efficient than hospitals, must depend on their efficiency and tighten turnover time to attract and keep quality physicians. Dr. Alinea says at his ASC, physicians are involved in the process of selecting employees, so providers know from the start who will be affecting OR efficiency. He says the ASC also tracks data on turnover times and benchmarks the center's efficiency over time.
3. Efficiency decreases as volume increases. Increasing case volume is a priority for most ASCs, but physicians and administrators should keep an eye on efficiency as the center gets busier, Dr. Alinea says. "We don't want to get lackadaisical," he says. "As we get busier, there's going to be a bit more confusion." He says ASCs can prevent negative changes during busy periods by inviting physicians to sit down regularly to talk about the center's issues. The center's medical director can also invite physicians to stop by anytime and voice concerns about drops in efficiency or other problems. By keeping these lines of communication open, Dr. Alinea says your center can avoid missing a critical problem until it has significantly harmed your center's efficiency or revenue.
Read more on physicians:
-5 Opportunities for Gastroenterologists in 2011
-Physician Shortages Worsen in New York
-Top ASC Turnaround Priority: Communicating With Physician Offices
1. Scheduling dilemmas. According to Dr. Alinea, the biggest complaint from ASC physicians generally relates to scheduling problems. "I'm one of the physicians that does procedures, so I guess I can speak firsthand: we like to do our cases at a convenient time," he says. "To do that for each and every provider in the ASC is rather difficult, so we need to have blocked time and schedule the OR efficiently, such that people are not delayed." He says problems with scheduling waste providers' time and will ultimately anger your physicians.
2. Slow turnover times. Dr. Alinea says physicians can also become frustrated if turnover times are inefficient at your ASC. ASCs, which are naturally more efficient than hospitals, must depend on their efficiency and tighten turnover time to attract and keep quality physicians. Dr. Alinea says at his ASC, physicians are involved in the process of selecting employees, so providers know from the start who will be affecting OR efficiency. He says the ASC also tracks data on turnover times and benchmarks the center's efficiency over time.
3. Efficiency decreases as volume increases. Increasing case volume is a priority for most ASCs, but physicians and administrators should keep an eye on efficiency as the center gets busier, Dr. Alinea says. "We don't want to get lackadaisical," he says. "As we get busier, there's going to be a bit more confusion." He says ASCs can prevent negative changes during busy periods by inviting physicians to sit down regularly to talk about the center's issues. The center's medical director can also invite physicians to stop by anytime and voice concerns about drops in efficiency or other problems. By keeping these lines of communication open, Dr. Alinea says your center can avoid missing a critical problem until it has significantly harmed your center's efficiency or revenue.
Read more on physicians:
-5 Opportunities for Gastroenterologists in 2011
-Physician Shortages Worsen in New York
-Top ASC Turnaround Priority: Communicating With Physician Offices