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 00:00:36,719 --> 00:00:38,799 This is Gracelyn Keller with the Becker's Healthcare 17 00:00:38,799 --> 00:00:40,560 podcast, and we are live at the business 18 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:41,299 and operations 19 00:00:41,679 --> 00:00:42,500 of ASCs. 20 00:00:43,119 --> 00:00:45,539 I'm currently joined by Sheila Thompson, 21 00:00:45,935 --> 00:00:47,934 who is the chief operating officer at Twin 22 00:00:47,934 --> 00:00:50,734 Cities Pain Clinics and Surgery Centers. So, Sheila, 23 00:00:50,734 --> 00:00:52,575 thanks so much for joining me today. Would 24 00:00:52,575 --> 00:00:54,335 love to start off by having you introduce 25 00:00:54,335 --> 00:00:56,094 yourself and telling us a little bit more 26 00:00:56,094 --> 00:00:57,934 about your work in the industry. Great. Thank 27 00:00:57,934 --> 00:00:59,795 you so much for having me. Happy Halloween. 28 00:01:00,620 --> 00:01:02,700 I am Sheila Thompson, like you said, and 29 00:01:02,700 --> 00:01:04,380 I've been in health care now for over 30 00:01:04,380 --> 00:01:06,380 half my life, which is hard for me 31 00:01:06,380 --> 00:01:08,380 to say, but I've been in the ASC 32 00:01:08,380 --> 00:01:09,599 space for the last 33 00:01:09,980 --> 00:01:12,540 13 years. I was emergency room nurse for 34 00:01:12,540 --> 00:01:14,715 the first 16 years of my career. So 35 00:01:14,795 --> 00:01:16,875 moving into the ASC, I was hired, 36 00:01:17,194 --> 00:01:18,954 8 years ago to open the very first 37 00:01:18,954 --> 00:01:22,174 surgery center for a private practice pain physician 38 00:01:22,234 --> 00:01:24,234 who had 3 clinics. And I opened his 39 00:01:24,234 --> 00:01:26,715 first ASC, and we are currently sitting at 40 00:01:26,715 --> 00:01:27,454 6 clinics, 41 00:01:28,260 --> 00:01:30,840 2 ASCs, and a third ASC opening up 42 00:01:30,900 --> 00:01:32,040 this next month. 43 00:01:32,659 --> 00:01:33,959 Wonderful. Well, congratulations, 44 00:01:34,340 --> 00:01:35,879 and thanks for joining me. 45 00:01:36,260 --> 00:01:39,299 Let's start our conversation talking about ASC volume. 46 00:01:39,299 --> 00:01:42,454 So countrywide, this is expected to increase by 47 00:01:42,454 --> 00:01:42,954 16% 48 00:01:43,415 --> 00:01:44,635 by the year 2032. 49 00:01:45,495 --> 00:01:47,415 With this growth, what is the most pressing 50 00:01:47,415 --> 00:01:50,234 challenge to maintaining a positive patient experience? 51 00:01:50,534 --> 00:01:52,614 Yeah. I would say the biggest thing is 52 00:01:52,614 --> 00:01:55,034 the volume of patients coming into the practice, 53 00:01:55,530 --> 00:01:56,270 being efficient, 54 00:01:56,810 --> 00:01:59,230 and then having staffing to support that efficiency. 55 00:01:59,450 --> 00:02:01,370 So a lot of times, if your staffing 56 00:02:01,370 --> 00:02:03,609 is lacking, you're going to be move patient 57 00:02:03,689 --> 00:02:06,090 the patient experience isn't gonna be there. So 58 00:02:06,090 --> 00:02:08,009 we thought outside the box and I and 59 00:02:08,009 --> 00:02:11,514 hired, nursing assistants to help transition patients through 60 00:02:11,514 --> 00:02:12,175 the process 61 00:02:12,474 --> 00:02:14,634 efficiently, but also giving them good patient care 62 00:02:14,634 --> 00:02:16,495 throughout their visit at the ASC. 63 00:02:17,354 --> 00:02:19,995 A 100%. And and going along with that, 64 00:02:19,995 --> 00:02:22,634 what strategies have worked for your organization to 65 00:02:22,634 --> 00:02:23,134 tackle 66 00:02:23,469 --> 00:02:26,270 some of these challenges that you're discussing? And 67 00:02:26,270 --> 00:02:28,509 what's one recommendation you have for health care 68 00:02:28,509 --> 00:02:30,370 leaders to stay ahead of those challenges? 69 00:02:30,830 --> 00:02:33,250 Yeah. So our biggest challenges are staffing, 70 00:02:33,629 --> 00:02:36,830 our payroll, our prior prior authorization. I we 71 00:02:36,830 --> 00:02:38,669 have we have challenges every day. I feel 72 00:02:38,669 --> 00:02:41,724 like the landscape is constantly changing, 73 00:02:42,425 --> 00:02:44,504 and we have to be changing with it 74 00:02:44,504 --> 00:02:46,745 and thinking outside the box and being creative 75 00:02:46,745 --> 00:02:48,844 and how we're gonna meet these challenges. 76 00:02:49,385 --> 00:02:51,545 It's great to come to conferences like this 77 00:02:51,545 --> 00:02:53,944 and and, you know, talk to others and, 78 00:02:53,944 --> 00:02:54,605 you know, 79 00:02:54,930 --> 00:02:57,409 formulate plans and be able to give advice 80 00:02:57,409 --> 00:02:59,349 and also be able to learn from 81 00:02:59,729 --> 00:03:01,010 all of us are going through the same 82 00:03:01,010 --> 00:03:03,250 thing. So it's just it's really nice to 83 00:03:03,250 --> 00:03:05,250 be able to forward think. That's gonna be 84 00:03:05,250 --> 00:03:06,469 a big part of it because 85 00:03:06,770 --> 00:03:09,729 it's not a stagnant industry anymore by any 86 00:03:09,729 --> 00:03:10,550 means. So 87 00:03:11,544 --> 00:03:14,185 Absolutely. And shifting gears just a little bit 88 00:03:14,185 --> 00:03:16,984 toward the financial side, how can leaders ensure 89 00:03:16,984 --> 00:03:18,984 their staff are well equipped to help patients 90 00:03:18,984 --> 00:03:21,864 navigate the financial aspects of their care? And 91 00:03:21,864 --> 00:03:24,125 how does this benefit patient provider relationships? 92 00:03:25,099 --> 00:03:27,439 Yeah. So I I think the the financial 93 00:03:27,500 --> 00:03:29,659 piece has also been a a challenge over 94 00:03:29,659 --> 00:03:32,319 the past years with increased deductibles, 95 00:03:32,699 --> 00:03:34,000 increased co pays, 96 00:03:34,780 --> 00:03:35,280 inflation. 97 00:03:35,740 --> 00:03:37,199 Our patient population 98 00:03:38,495 --> 00:03:41,395 has financial challenges in the pain industry. So 99 00:03:41,694 --> 00:03:44,254 getting that financial phone call and being upfront 100 00:03:44,254 --> 00:03:47,455 so that they're not surprised or upset when 101 00:03:47,455 --> 00:03:50,094 they receive that bill. We're all inclusive. So 102 00:03:50,094 --> 00:03:51,935 they get the pro fee, the facility fee, 103 00:03:51,935 --> 00:03:53,474 and the anesthesia fee. And 104 00:03:53,870 --> 00:03:55,870 really talking through that and explaining that because 105 00:03:55,870 --> 00:03:58,189 most of our population just does not understand 106 00:03:58,189 --> 00:03:58,689 it. 107 00:03:59,469 --> 00:04:01,090 And is there any closing 108 00:04:01,469 --> 00:04:03,550 remarks or anything else you'd like to share 109 00:04:03,550 --> 00:04:05,870 on the podcast today? Thank you for this 110 00:04:05,870 --> 00:04:08,110 opportunity. I really appreciate it. It was kind 111 00:04:08,110 --> 00:04:09,935 of fun to do this. I think 112 00:04:10,395 --> 00:04:12,735 that being able to talk about the challenges 113 00:04:12,795 --> 00:04:14,495 and also talk about some of the opportunities 114 00:04:14,715 --> 00:04:17,435 for improvement is just something that I'm passionate 115 00:04:17,435 --> 00:04:19,055 about and happy to share. 116 00:04:19,514 --> 00:04:21,435 Wonderful. Well, thank you so much for taking 117 00:04:21,435 --> 00:04:23,274 the time to be here. Again, we are 118 00:04:23,274 --> 00:04:26,522 live at the business and operations of ASC's 119 00:04:26,582 --> 00:04:28,522 event. Thanks so much. Thank you.