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This is Gracelyn Keller with the Becker's Healthcare

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podcast, and we are live at the business

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and operations of ASCs.

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I'm currently joined by doctor Basil Besh, who

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is the founder of Precision Surgi Center. So,

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doctor Besh, thanks for joining me today. Thanks

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for having me. Yeah. Can you please take

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a moment and just introduce yourself a little

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bit further as we get started here and

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talk about your role in the industry? Sure.

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My name is Basil Besh. I'm a North

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Peak surgeon.

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Started our surgery center about 14 years ago,

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doing well.

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I also do quite a bit of leadership

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within orthopedics,

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health care policy, and my, interest is health

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care economics.

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Alright. Well, thank you for being here. We'd

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love to start our conversation today talking about

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ASC volume. So this is expected to increase

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countrywide by 16% by the year 2030 2.

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With this growth, what is the most pressing

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challenge to maintaining a positive patient experience?

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I I think change and comfort are mutually

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exclusive, and getting people used to procedures that

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were historically done in the inpatient setting

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and shifting them to the outpatient realm

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is a gradual process. I think the 2

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biggest examples of that in orthopedics are total

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joint replacement and spine surgery.

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These are cases that are traditionally done inpatient.

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Patients have gotten used to that

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and there's an acclimation period to getting them

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to shift to the outpatient realm. Interestingly,

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I think COVID did ASCs a big favor.

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I think people are

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more open to not utilizing a hospital

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now than they ever have been. So I

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think that's helped the ASC industry.

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A 100%.

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And going off of that, what strategies have

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worked for your organization to tackle some of

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these challenges, and what's one recommendation you have

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for healthcare leaders to stay ahead?

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I I think you have to be proactive

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in terms of speaking to your patients, managing

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their expectations,

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reassurance,

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but but

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that challenge becomes less and less every day

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as as the acclamation progresses. But,

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I think, you know, be out in front

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of the problem rather than

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reactive, I think is the best advice I

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can give.

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100%.

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And shifting gears slightly toward the financial side,

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how can leaders ensure their staff are well

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equipped to help patients navigate the financial aspects

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of care, and how does this benefit patient

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provider relationships?

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Again,

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it's important to be proactive. I think,

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not just the shift towards the outpatient realm,

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but in terms of benefit design changes that

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we've seen where

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health insurers

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have seen benefit

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to having patients have more skin in the

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game. It's important to have these conversations with

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patients in an open setting,

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again, managing their expectations, not just clinically, but

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financially as well.

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And as we close our conversation today, do

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you have any parting words that you'd like

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to share on the podcast?

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Well, I I I think there's an inevitability

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to ASC growth. And I think the healthcare

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cost curve is not sustainable,

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and one of the primary drivers of that

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cost,

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is inpatient treatment. And I think that the

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truth is the wind is at our back.

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And it's a good time to be involved

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in the ASC industry.

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Wonderful. Well, doctor Besh, thanks so much for

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joining me today on the Becker's Healthcare Podcast.

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Again, we're live at the business and operations

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of ASCs.