1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,319 Are your patients looking for an easy way 2 00:00:02,319 --> 00:00:04,480 to pay for health care? Want to level 3 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:06,639 up the way you do business? Then the 4 00:00:06,639 --> 00:00:09,199 CareCredit health and wellness card just might be 5 00:00:09,199 --> 00:00:09,859 the answer. 6 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:13,539 For over 30 years, CareCredit, a Synchrony solution, 7 00:00:13,759 --> 00:00:16,454 has been providing patients with a modern, flexible 8 00:00:16,454 --> 00:00:18,375 way to pay for their health and wellness 9 00:00:18,375 --> 00:00:18,875 expenses. 10 00:00:19,414 --> 00:00:22,875 CareCredit seamlessly integrates with your business, helping minimize 11 00:00:23,015 --> 00:00:25,975 account receivable, all while your patients enjoy budget 12 00:00:25,975 --> 00:00:27,595 friendly financing options. 13 00:00:28,054 --> 00:00:30,214 To learn more about how CareCredit works for 14 00:00:30,214 --> 00:00:31,274 you and your patients, 15 00:00:31,679 --> 00:00:32,420 visit carecredit.comforward/beccarspodcast. 16 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:38,799 This is Gracelyn Keller with the Becker's Healthcare 17 00:00:38,799 --> 00:00:40,799 Podcast, and we are live at the business 18 00:00:40,799 --> 00:00:42,420 and operations of ASCs. 19 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:44,799 I'm currently joined by John Brady, who is 20 00:00:44,799 --> 00:00:48,225 the CEO of Fox Valley Orthopedic Institute. John, 21 00:00:48,225 --> 00:00:50,225 thanks for joining me today. We'd love to 22 00:00:50,225 --> 00:00:51,905 start our conversation by having you take a 23 00:00:51,905 --> 00:00:54,145 moment to introduce yourself and tell us a 24 00:00:54,145 --> 00:00:55,424 little bit more about your work in the 25 00:00:55,424 --> 00:00:55,924 industry. 26 00:00:56,625 --> 00:00:58,945 Thank you, Grace. Again, I'm John Brady. I'm 27 00:00:58,945 --> 00:01:01,760 the CEO of Fox Valley Orthopaedics, which is 28 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:04,400 located in the western suburbs far western suburbs 29 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:05,700 of the Chicagoland area. 30 00:01:06,079 --> 00:01:08,020 We take care of patients from basically 31 00:01:08,719 --> 00:01:10,959 the Wisconsin state line down to the Illinois 32 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:11,459 River 33 00:01:11,935 --> 00:01:13,855 and almost all the way to Iowa and 34 00:01:13,855 --> 00:01:16,895 east to the the western suburbs, DuPage County 35 00:01:16,895 --> 00:01:19,215 area. It's a broad geography. We have 10 36 00:01:19,215 --> 00:01:21,695 offices, 8 with physicians and PT and 2 37 00:01:21,695 --> 00:01:24,015 stand alone PT. And then we have an 38 00:01:24,015 --> 00:01:26,439 ASC in our primary corporate office, our main 39 00:01:26,439 --> 00:01:29,259 office in Geneva, Illinois. It's a 4 OR 40 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:29,819 ASC. 41 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:33,079 We're hoping to do 4,000 cases, orthopedic cases 42 00:01:33,079 --> 00:01:34,840 this year. We treat a full range of 43 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:35,340 musculoskeletal 44 00:01:35,879 --> 00:01:38,219 from orthopedic surgery. We have podiatrists. 45 00:01:38,584 --> 00:01:39,484 We have a rheumatologist, 46 00:01:40,185 --> 00:01:41,864 and some PM and R docs who do 47 00:01:41,864 --> 00:01:42,364 pain. 48 00:01:43,144 --> 00:01:45,305 Wonderful. Well, thanks for being here. Mhmm. I'd 49 00:01:45,305 --> 00:01:46,604 love to start our conversation 50 00:01:46,984 --> 00:01:48,685 discussing ASC volume. 51 00:01:49,064 --> 00:01:51,625 This is expected to increase across the country 52 00:01:51,625 --> 00:01:53,804 by 16% by the year 2032. 53 00:01:54,719 --> 00:01:56,400 So with this growth, what are the most 54 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:59,460 pressing challenges to maintaining a positive patient experience? 55 00:02:00,079 --> 00:02:01,840 Well, I actually I read that article the 56 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:03,439 other day, and I actually think that number's 57 00:02:03,439 --> 00:02:04,880 a little low. I think it's gonna grow 58 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:06,020 even more than that. 59 00:02:06,814 --> 00:02:07,314 ASC, 60 00:02:07,615 --> 00:02:09,775 like most things in healthcare, needs to really 61 00:02:09,775 --> 00:02:10,915 focus on access. 62 00:02:11,294 --> 00:02:13,455 And access at the patients, you know, when 63 00:02:13,455 --> 00:02:15,715 the patient wants it and can get it. 64 00:02:15,854 --> 00:02:18,415 That's a really, really important thing. That nothing 65 00:02:18,415 --> 00:02:20,675 is going to drive that patient experience better 66 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:22,840 than being able to get the procedure in 67 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,079 a timely manner, you know, within a timeframe 68 00:02:25,079 --> 00:02:27,079 that you work on with them. So we 69 00:02:27,079 --> 00:02:29,159 work very hard on that to make sure 70 00:02:29,159 --> 00:02:31,959 that we can get patients in with you 71 00:02:31,959 --> 00:02:34,135 know, we do all the necessary screenings. We 72 00:02:34,135 --> 00:02:36,775 set the appropriate expectations for, you know, timing. 73 00:02:36,775 --> 00:02:38,534 It takes longer to get a joint in 74 00:02:38,534 --> 00:02:40,534 than it does a closed reduction on our 75 00:02:40,534 --> 00:02:42,694 wrist. Things like that. So we make sure 76 00:02:42,694 --> 00:02:44,455 that we're communicating that, and we make sure 77 00:02:44,455 --> 00:02:47,949 that our clinic staffs are aligned with what's 78 00:02:47,949 --> 00:02:49,790 going on in our ASC so they're not 79 00:02:49,790 --> 00:02:52,590 overpromising and causing us to under deliver. We 80 00:02:52,590 --> 00:02:53,949 make sure that we have a really solid 81 00:02:53,949 --> 00:02:55,409 line of communication there. 82 00:02:56,030 --> 00:02:56,530 Absolutely. 83 00:02:56,830 --> 00:02:59,010 And kinda going off of that, what strategies 84 00:02:59,069 --> 00:03:01,629 have worked for your organization in tackling those 85 00:03:01,629 --> 00:03:04,164 challenges, and what's one recommendation you have for 86 00:03:04,164 --> 00:03:06,324 health care leaders to stay ahead? Well, it's 87 00:03:06,324 --> 00:03:07,704 interesting. We recently 88 00:03:08,084 --> 00:03:10,264 couple years ago, 2 practices merged 89 00:03:10,644 --> 00:03:11,784 right before I started. 90 00:03:12,245 --> 00:03:14,245 And, you know, 2 very different cultures. The 91 00:03:14,245 --> 00:03:16,479 the the legacy Fox Valley group had the 92 00:03:16,479 --> 00:03:16,979 surgery 93 00:03:17,599 --> 00:03:19,199 center. The group that merged in did not 94 00:03:19,199 --> 00:03:20,639 have a surgery center. They did all their 95 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,139 things at different centers around the area. 96 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:26,479 So understanding workflows and processes, you know, from 97 00:03:26,479 --> 00:03:28,639 the clinic side to get those patients to 98 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:30,824 come, you know, to come to our facility. 99 00:03:30,824 --> 00:03:31,944 It was a challenge. I mean, there were 100 00:03:31,944 --> 00:03:33,405 some cultural challenges there. 101 00:03:33,705 --> 00:03:35,625 But we've done a really nice job in 102 00:03:35,625 --> 00:03:38,344 doing that. We've made some very direct efforts 103 00:03:38,344 --> 00:03:40,344 to do that by creating 1 health one 104 00:03:40,344 --> 00:03:40,844 EMR 105 00:03:41,145 --> 00:03:42,985 that also is connected to the scheduling for 106 00:03:42,985 --> 00:03:43,645 the ASC. 107 00:03:44,180 --> 00:03:46,500 Working very closely to make sure that we're 108 00:03:46,500 --> 00:03:47,639 cross training staff. 109 00:03:47,939 --> 00:03:49,080 So legacy South 110 00:03:49,460 --> 00:03:51,219 FVO staff are going up to the north 111 00:03:51,219 --> 00:03:53,460 offices where we merge and vice versa. So 112 00:03:53,460 --> 00:03:55,400 people are seeing how all those things work. 113 00:03:55,620 --> 00:03:57,314 It really helps because what it's doing is 114 00:03:57,314 --> 00:03:59,474 it's allowing us to understand the nuances of 115 00:03:59,474 --> 00:04:01,634 scheduling for the different patients we have and 116 00:04:01,634 --> 00:04:03,555 the different physicians that you know, what they 117 00:04:03,555 --> 00:04:05,794 want. And it's working out really well. And 118 00:04:05,794 --> 00:04:07,955 we're seeing great efficiencies being achieved out of 119 00:04:07,955 --> 00:04:09,174 it, which has led to 120 00:04:09,715 --> 00:04:10,995 in in no small part led to a 121 00:04:10,995 --> 00:04:11,894 lot of our growth. 122 00:04:12,969 --> 00:04:15,449 And how can leaders ensure their staff are 123 00:04:15,449 --> 00:04:18,189 well equipped to help patients navigate the financial 124 00:04:18,330 --> 00:04:20,490 aspects of care? And how does this benefit 125 00:04:20,490 --> 00:04:21,870 patient provider relationships? 126 00:04:22,170 --> 00:04:24,649 Yeah. This is, this is a tough question 127 00:04:24,649 --> 00:04:26,750 because no one wants to talk about money. 128 00:04:27,050 --> 00:04:29,104 You know, we you know, when you hear 129 00:04:29,104 --> 00:04:31,664 people you see reports where you're not collecting 130 00:04:31,664 --> 00:04:33,664 all your co pays, you know, things like 131 00:04:33,664 --> 00:04:34,164 that. 132 00:04:34,704 --> 00:04:37,444 You're asking people to have very difficult conversations 133 00:04:37,664 --> 00:04:40,225 about some very expensive things. I mean, it 134 00:04:40,225 --> 00:04:41,904 costs the same as, you know, buying a 135 00:04:41,904 --> 00:04:43,504 car in some instances for some of the 136 00:04:43,504 --> 00:04:45,029 surgeries they're doing. 137 00:04:45,330 --> 00:04:48,310 So we have dedicated patient financial advisors 138 00:04:48,610 --> 00:04:51,089 that and our staff knows to not get 139 00:04:51,089 --> 00:04:51,910 into conversations 140 00:04:52,610 --> 00:04:54,449 if they're not trained to do it. And 141 00:04:54,449 --> 00:04:57,225 they they feel very comfortable referring them off. 142 00:04:57,464 --> 00:04:59,865 They're not dumping the patient. Rather, they're getting 143 00:04:59,865 --> 00:05:01,384 them to where they need to be to 144 00:05:01,384 --> 00:05:02,925 have a meaningful conversation. 145 00:05:03,464 --> 00:05:06,024 We're also looking at direct contracting in a 146 00:05:06,024 --> 00:05:06,845 different way. 147 00:05:07,145 --> 00:05:09,865 Organizations like MD Save on the employer side 148 00:05:09,865 --> 00:05:10,605 and HealthMe 149 00:05:11,029 --> 00:05:13,029 on the direct to consumer side for the 150 00:05:13,029 --> 00:05:15,029 high deductible health plans and things like people 151 00:05:15,029 --> 00:05:15,689 with those. 152 00:05:15,990 --> 00:05:17,750 That's helping out a lot because it's really 153 00:05:17,750 --> 00:05:19,830 creating a level of transparency. The patients can 154 00:05:19,830 --> 00:05:21,110 go in, they can see what's in the 155 00:05:21,110 --> 00:05:22,870 bundle, they can see what they need to 156 00:05:22,870 --> 00:05:25,145 add. And this is something that we haven't 157 00:05:25,145 --> 00:05:27,064 formally kicked all these off yet, but in 158 00:05:27,064 --> 00:05:28,824 the tests that we've run with it, people 159 00:05:28,824 --> 00:05:30,824 are very happy about them. And we're looking 160 00:05:30,824 --> 00:05:33,225 forward to seeing that really grow and help 161 00:05:33,225 --> 00:05:35,785 help our staff to be able to refer 162 00:05:35,785 --> 00:05:37,545 patients so they can get the answers they 163 00:05:37,545 --> 00:05:38,045 need. 164 00:05:38,419 --> 00:05:40,259 And as we wrap up here, do you 165 00:05:40,259 --> 00:05:42,419 have any last parting words or anything else 166 00:05:42,419 --> 00:05:43,800 you'd like to share on the podcast? 167 00:05:44,419 --> 00:05:46,019 Yeah. I think the ASC space is a 168 00:05:46,019 --> 00:05:47,459 great place to be right now. I think 169 00:05:47,459 --> 00:05:49,639 that Medicare has started to recognize 170 00:05:50,259 --> 00:05:51,000 that ASCs 171 00:05:51,459 --> 00:05:51,944 are 172 00:05:52,264 --> 00:05:53,404 the value proposition 173 00:05:53,785 --> 00:05:56,524 in in surgery, especially, you know, outpatient surgery 174 00:05:56,745 --> 00:05:59,464 compared to the hospital outpatient departments. We're seeing 175 00:05:59,464 --> 00:06:02,504 payers recognize that. You know, the Medicare opening 176 00:06:02,504 --> 00:06:04,045 up ASCs for 177 00:06:04,379 --> 00:06:07,900 shoulder replacements this year was huge. And that 178 00:06:08,139 --> 00:06:09,819 things like that make a big difference. So 179 00:06:09,819 --> 00:06:11,439 we're starting to see in orthopedics 180 00:06:12,379 --> 00:06:14,780 the ability to do more. 5 years ago, 181 00:06:14,780 --> 00:06:17,500 it was joints. Now it's the shoulders. As 182 00:06:17,500 --> 00:06:19,259 we go forward, we're gonna see more and 183 00:06:19,259 --> 00:06:21,314 more of that. And I think that's the 184 00:06:21,314 --> 00:06:23,314 real opportunity. So we have to be efficient 185 00:06:23,314 --> 00:06:25,175 to be able to handle that growing volume 186 00:06:25,314 --> 00:06:27,314 without breaking the bank and having to create 187 00:06:27,314 --> 00:06:29,414 new facilities and and then buy new equipment. 188 00:06:30,115 --> 00:06:32,194 Awesome. Well, John, thanks so much for joining 189 00:06:32,194 --> 00:06:34,326 me today on the Becker's Healthcare podcast. Again, 190 00:06:34,326 --> 00:06:36,586 we are live at the business and operations 191 00:06:36,646 --> 00:06:38,806 of ASCs. Thanks so much. Thank you very 192 00:06:38,806 --> 00:06:39,626 much, Chris.