1. Control staff salaries and share profits. According to Lisa Austin of Pinnacle III, one way to involve staff members in ASC's operation is to allow them to financially benefit through a good profit-sharing program. If you're able to create cost savings in salaries and supplies, a portion of that profit can be distributed on a quarterly or monthly basis. This way, you're not cutting into the budget to raise staff salaries, but rather using your additional savings to reward your employees. Staff members will be happier because they receive a bonus based on their hard work and will be more likely to put in effort to save your center money.
2. Do a full search to fill senior level positions. When planning and starting a new center, sometimes it seems the safest bet to hire a nurse manager or administrator that has been a loyal and trusted employee of one of the leader physicians, says Tom Jacobs, CEO and co-founder of MedHQ. Certainly, we've all seen this work. But too often this instinct serves to short-circuit the recruiting and staffing process, which could have resulted in a candidate better-suited to the fast-paced, multifaceted environment of an ASC. In the worst-case scenario, we've witnessed good relationships go sour as misfits in person-to-position situations fester.
It's always recommended to do a full search especially for the most senior-level positions in the center. A full search should be based on a very clear understanding of the critical skills and attributes needed to thrive in each leadership position. For example, ASCs should likely recruit an administrator who has demonstrated business acumen, can articulate a clear vision and motivate, can build consensus and has a track record of following through on projects and commitments. On the other hand, someone who has a clinical background and has a naturally caring approach, a master of his or her competency, demonstrates initiative (especially in critical situations), is collaborative and highly organized might fit best in the clinical director or nurse manager role. Finding a best fit to each position is critical, and prevents many of the problems that may occur before they have an opportunity to surface.
3. Engage schedulers as a marketing tool. Forging strong relationships with schedulers in your surgeons' practices is one of the most effective marketing tools because the surgeon's scheduler often determines where the surgery will take place. "We often discuss the concept of one more case per physician, per month," Tom Faith of The C/N Group in Merrillville, Ind., says. "Strong relationships with a surgeon's office staff can help drive that." Invite practice schedulers to your ASC, meet with them regularly and make sure they meet your ASC's scheduler. "It makes a big difference if you can put a name with a face and build a personal relationship," Mr. Faith says.
4. Keep lines of communication open. 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.