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 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:39,600 This is Gracelyn Keller with the Becker's Healthcare 17 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:41,359 Podcast, and we are live at the business 18 00:00:41,359 --> 00:00:43,140 and operation of ASCs. 19 00:00:43,975 --> 00:00:46,534 I am joined right now by doctor Rick 20 00:00:46,534 --> 00:00:49,174 Ngo, who is a general surgeon at Texas 21 00:00:49,174 --> 00:00:52,295 Hernia and Surgical Specialists. So thank you so 22 00:00:52,295 --> 00:00:53,895 much for joining me today. Would love to 23 00:00:53,895 --> 00:00:55,655 have you introduce yourself and tell us a 24 00:00:55,655 --> 00:00:57,015 little bit more about your role in the 25 00:00:57,015 --> 00:00:57,515 industry. 26 00:00:58,149 --> 00:01:00,070 Thanks for having me, Grace. My name is 27 00:01:00,070 --> 00:01:02,870 Rick Ngo. I'm a private practice general surgeon 28 00:01:02,870 --> 00:01:05,829 with Texas Hernia and Surgical Specialists in Houston, 29 00:01:05,829 --> 00:01:06,329 Texas. 30 00:01:07,109 --> 00:01:09,189 I've been in private practice for over 20 31 00:01:09,189 --> 00:01:11,430 years, and the bulk of my practice is 32 00:01:11,430 --> 00:01:14,525 performed at ambulatory surgery centers, I e ASCs. 33 00:01:15,545 --> 00:01:16,265 And thus, 34 00:01:16,744 --> 00:01:17,144 I've, 35 00:01:17,545 --> 00:01:19,064 make it made it a point to be 36 00:01:19,064 --> 00:01:20,444 really involved in the, 37 00:01:20,984 --> 00:01:23,704 not just the clinical aspects of working on 38 00:01:23,704 --> 00:01:26,204 an ASC, but also the business and operations 39 00:01:26,469 --> 00:01:28,950 of all the processes that go around managing 40 00:01:28,950 --> 00:01:29,689 an ASC. 41 00:01:30,469 --> 00:01:32,869 Wonderful. Well, thanks for being here. And let's 42 00:01:32,869 --> 00:01:35,989 start our conversation today with ASC volume. So 43 00:01:35,989 --> 00:01:38,170 this is expected to increase countrywide 44 00:01:39,075 --> 00:01:41,174 by 16% by the year 2032. 45 00:01:41,474 --> 00:01:43,474 So with this growth, what are the most 46 00:01:43,474 --> 00:01:46,454 pressing challenges to maintaining a positive patient experience? 47 00:01:47,555 --> 00:01:49,174 Well, increases in volume 48 00:01:49,715 --> 00:01:51,974 are great, and they're definitely happening. 49 00:01:52,489 --> 00:01:55,069 We we need to not ever forget, 50 00:01:55,530 --> 00:01:56,030 that 51 00:01:56,409 --> 00:01:58,489 to treat each patient as a human being 52 00:01:58,489 --> 00:01:59,469 and as an individual 53 00:02:00,170 --> 00:02:01,390 and to provide that 54 00:02:01,769 --> 00:02:04,649 caring, service oriented experience from the a to 55 00:02:04,649 --> 00:02:07,084 z, from the the beginning of the scheduling 56 00:02:07,084 --> 00:02:09,645 of the surgery to the, following up and 57 00:02:09,645 --> 00:02:10,604 calling the patient, 58 00:02:10,925 --> 00:02:12,604 after the surgery is performed when they're at 59 00:02:12,604 --> 00:02:13,104 home. 60 00:02:14,284 --> 00:02:16,685 And going along with that, what strategies have 61 00:02:16,685 --> 00:02:18,685 worked for your organization to tackle some of 62 00:02:18,685 --> 00:02:21,169 those challenges, and what's one recommendation you have 63 00:02:21,169 --> 00:02:22,949 for health care leaders to stay ahead? 64 00:02:23,569 --> 00:02:26,049 I would say from a global standpoint, we 65 00:02:26,049 --> 00:02:28,209 just at, at the surgery centers that I 66 00:02:28,209 --> 00:02:29,669 work at, we 67 00:02:30,209 --> 00:02:33,169 try to instill that culture of of service 68 00:02:33,169 --> 00:02:34,629 from beginning to end. 69 00:02:35,224 --> 00:02:38,104 And despite increases in volume, again, which is 70 00:02:38,104 --> 00:02:38,844 a plus, 71 00:02:39,544 --> 00:02:41,805 we wanna make sure that the the patient 72 00:02:41,944 --> 00:02:44,985 is not just a number, but a human 73 00:02:44,985 --> 00:02:47,305 being who's going through a difficult time, and 74 00:02:47,305 --> 00:02:49,705 and being treated as such. So it's on 75 00:02:49,705 --> 00:02:50,444 us to 76 00:02:50,879 --> 00:02:52,800 to instill that culture. And then, 77 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:55,379 more in the weeds, we wanna instill 78 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:58,980 processes and operations that increase the efficiency 79 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:03,540 so we're not sacrificing service and are achieving 80 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:06,260 the greater volumes that are that are happening. 81 00:03:06,915 --> 00:03:09,735 Absolutely. And shifting gears slightly to the financial 82 00:03:09,794 --> 00:03:12,354 side, how can leaders ensure their staff are 83 00:03:12,354 --> 00:03:15,014 well equipped to help patients navigate that financial 84 00:03:15,074 --> 00:03:17,235 aspect of care, and how does this benefit 85 00:03:17,235 --> 00:03:18,534 patient provider relationships? 86 00:03:19,349 --> 00:03:21,669 It's a great question. The the financial and 87 00:03:21,669 --> 00:03:24,310 insurance aspects around health care and and surgery 88 00:03:24,310 --> 00:03:24,969 can be 89 00:03:25,669 --> 00:03:26,169 extremely, 90 00:03:26,550 --> 00:03:29,930 extremely confusing. So it it's on us as 91 00:03:30,310 --> 00:03:32,534 surgery center owners and leaders to provide our 92 00:03:32,534 --> 00:03:34,455 staff with the most up to date accurate 93 00:03:34,455 --> 00:03:35,675 information regarding 94 00:03:36,135 --> 00:03:37,675 prior authorization policies 95 00:03:38,294 --> 00:03:39,115 and the specific 96 00:03:39,415 --> 00:03:42,055 patient's insurance policy and try to provide that 97 00:03:42,055 --> 00:03:44,235 information to everyone involved in the process 98 00:03:44,855 --> 00:03:45,355 upfront. 99 00:03:46,319 --> 00:03:48,340 That way, they can make an informed decision. 100 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:51,780 They'd know exactly how much is, their deductibles 101 00:03:51,919 --> 00:03:54,019 going towards this, how much they're gonna be, 102 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:56,580 personally responsible for. 103 00:03:56,959 --> 00:03:58,099 And that will 104 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:00,180 ease a lot of the anxiety 105 00:04:01,055 --> 00:04:03,775 intention, you know, regarding the financial aspects of 106 00:04:03,775 --> 00:04:04,674 having a surgery. 107 00:04:05,055 --> 00:04:08,754 This definitely affects the patient provider relationship 108 00:04:09,854 --> 00:04:12,655 when physicians such as myself is involved with 109 00:04:12,655 --> 00:04:14,114 a certain facility that 110 00:04:14,700 --> 00:04:18,220 is very, very transparent, very, very professional regarding 111 00:04:18,220 --> 00:04:19,759 the finances around surgery. 112 00:04:20,540 --> 00:04:21,600 That speaks volume 113 00:04:22,060 --> 00:04:24,800 volumes to, and really contributes to 114 00:04:25,180 --> 00:04:28,139 our reputation as someone who wants to who 115 00:04:28,139 --> 00:04:30,334 cares about the entire patient, not just from 116 00:04:30,334 --> 00:04:30,995 the medical 117 00:04:31,295 --> 00:04:33,694 standpoint from, but from what they also have 118 00:04:33,694 --> 00:04:35,455 to deal with, you know, personally on a 119 00:04:35,455 --> 00:04:36,355 financial level. 120 00:04:37,134 --> 00:04:39,394 Absolutely. And as we wrap up our conversation, 121 00:04:39,694 --> 00:04:41,455 are there any closing thoughts you'd like to 122 00:04:41,455 --> 00:04:42,754 share on the podcast today? 123 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:46,420 I feel that, COVID, which 124 00:04:47,439 --> 00:04:50,879 impacted the industry negatively at the time, has 125 00:04:50,879 --> 00:04:53,600 been a major contributor to the renaissance of 126 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:54,819 the ASC industry. 127 00:04:55,439 --> 00:04:56,180 And it's, 128 00:04:56,639 --> 00:04:59,300 if we do this well and and really 129 00:04:59,834 --> 00:05:00,654 always prioritize 130 00:05:01,115 --> 00:05:02,574 patient safety and care, 131 00:05:03,115 --> 00:05:05,514 and then continue to work on improving the 132 00:05:05,514 --> 00:05:07,375 efficiencies around running the ASC 133 00:05:07,754 --> 00:05:11,355 business and industry, then, this, industry will continue 134 00:05:11,355 --> 00:05:12,014 to thrive. 135 00:05:12,830 --> 00:05:15,069 Well, doctor Ngo, thanks so much for joining 136 00:05:15,069 --> 00:05:17,310 me on the Becker's Healthcare podcast today. Again, 137 00:05:17,310 --> 00:05:19,250 we are live at the business and operations 138 00:05:19,310 --> 00:05:21,889 of ASCs. Thanks so much. Thank you.