Insurance companies and public healthcare bodies are increasingly recognizing the importance of ASCs, according to Sandra Berreth, RN, director of the surgical service line at Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Foothill Surgery Center at Sansum Clinic.
While that trend bodes well for the future of ASCs, Ms. Berreth said in her interview for "Becker's Ambulatory Surgery Centers Podcast" that the current landscape also shows cause for concern.
This is an excerpt. Download the full episode here.
What are some of the trends that you're following in healthcare today? What do you really see as being important as an ASC leader?
Sandra Berreth: There's many more than three, but my big three are:
Payer recognition of ASCs is becoming more and more relevant — and the payers are actually understanding that an ASC is important and that there is definitely a vital space for what an ASC can bring to the table for any surgical services.
Another trend has to do with leadership and staff. As we get busier in an ASC, leaders often get overwhelmed. ... And they don't always recognize when they need to ask for help. ... I can't be everywhere every day at every minute, so I have to rely on my staff to do that.
And so ... the staff get tired, and when you're tired it's hard to be engaged. And as you probably are aware, just like everyone else in this country, COVID has taken a huge bite out of our resiliency. ... Our staff really are kind of bubbling to the top in the needs section.
[Last,] I'm really encouraged [that] CMS — Medicare and Medicaid Services — are starting to understand that the ASC industry is important to the healthcare arena. And as long as we've got that, I think we'll continue to grow; we will continue to prosper.