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This is Gracelyn Keller with the Becker's Healthcare
Podcast,
and we are recording live at the business
and operations of ASCs.
And I am pleased today to be joined
by Cathy McDowell, who is the president and
CEO of KZA.
So, Cathy, thank you for joining me today.
Thank you for having me.
And as we get our, conversation started, I
would love to have you to just take
a moment to introduce yourself and tell us
a little bit more about your work in
the industry.
Perfect. Thank you. My name is Kathy,
and I am the president and CEO of
KZA or Karen Zepko and Associates.
We have been in the industry for 40
years.
Our focus is on billing, coding and audit
education.
Typically,
we work with practice operations,
optimizing,
practice management,
things such as that. So.
Wonderful. Well, thank you for being here.
And let's start our conversation
discussing ASC volume. So this is expected to
increase by 16%
across the country by 2032.
With this growth, what is the most pressing
challenge to maintaining a positive patient experience?
I think
with the growth
anticipated, I think staffing is going to be
a major point. I think growing,
patient numbers such as that is gonna require
a larger staffing field, and we are already
in a staffing shortage.
Absolutely.
And going along with that, what strategies have
worked for your organization as you tackle some
of these challenges?
And what is the recommendation you have for
health care leaders trying to stay ahead?
It's a good question.
So workflow efficiencies,
that's that is the real focus. I think
that,
when you're first forced with, doing
more work with less staff, you need to
look at your efficiencies.
Do you have the right people on the
right seat and they're on the bus doing
the right work?
Maintaining
personalized care is is difficult when you increase
the volume such as that. So really having
policies and procedures that your staff can follow
to manage those processes.
I think technology and,
equipment,
increase technology and and,
education, I think is is key,
to your staff.
Educating them on how to manage the patients,
through the system. Some things that have worked
for us is to really
educate
from the beginning to the end of the
process, meaning from the first encounter to the
exit
of the patient, care experience
so that
the client or patient feels cared for within
the system. And, we've done a good job
of that.
Well, thank you for sharing your insights on
that side of things. I'd love now to
shift toward the financial side.
So how can leaders ensure their staff are
well equipped to help patients navigate the financial
aspect of care, and how does this benefit
the patient and provider relationship?
I think it goes back
to educating your staff and looking initially with
those workflow efficiencies.
Where do they feel confident?
Where do they feel like they need more,
direction, if you will?
Teaching them how to talk about finance, scripting
your staff on the front end, teaching them
how to ask for money, and how to
give patients other options
to get the care that they need and
not feel like they have to put it
off. And and most importantly, not to feel
embarrassed by it. Right? Because as as the
care of the patient
or the the the cost of health care
has shifted more to the patient, I should
say,
that is driving
patients to be consumers of care.
And
with that, they are measuring,
and we have to train our staff to
be able to answer their questions about the
care that we deliver. So I'll go back
to that education point.
A 100%.
And how do you train your staff to
handle those conversations around health care costs and
insurance coverage with patients so that they feel
that they're informed and supported?
It's a good question. So, typically, we
it is very important for your staff to
understand the business, to understand if there have
been major payer changes,
and then what is what is available
to the patient to pay their bill.
How can they delay payment? How can they
can they use a health care credit card
such as CareCredit? Can they pay through ACH?
Do you have a a a payment plan
that they can enroll in in within
the office that'll give them structured payment plans,
prior to that? And with the staff,
typically,
we would focus on
making sure that they know if there's been
changes,
what is available to them to offer to
the patient,
and most importantly, doing this before the care
has actually happened. Giving them that plan, what's
gonna happen to them, and including the billing
and financing arm into the into the continuum
of care.
100%. That is so important.
And so as a leader, how do you
create a culture that integrates that patient centered
care and also the financial literacy?
And why is that so important as the
current ASC
environment is growing?
It's important because, again, as that the pay
is the cost of health care has shifted
to the patient. Caring for the whole patient
is inclusive of helping them understand the financial
impact or burden that they're gonna have and
the options before them to be able to
pay that bill, how they can afford the
care that they need.
And what best practices or strategies do you
recommend to leaders who are striving to align
staff with organizational goals and patient satisfaction rates?
And what have you seen that's worked well
for you?
I think that it is extremely important to
share those surveys,
that the patient fills out with your staff
to look at what is consistent or maybe
a trend and try to script against that
meaning help
give dialogue or or words, if you will,
to the staff to help manage that patient
better. I think that the most important thing
to engage staff and to engage the patient
is the communication
about the care that they're providing or they're
receiving. What does it look like? And then
most importantly,
celebrate those wins and and and help your
staff understand that it is important to
not only focus on what they might be
missing, but also focus on what they're doing
right.
Absolutely. Well, as we wrap our conversation
here, is there any closing remarks you'd like
to share on the podcast?
I I think that it is incredibly important
to understand
this shift,
to the patient and why the financial impact
is so important in the continuum of care
of the patient. Typically, care starts when the
procedure starts,
in our in our historical,
care landscape, and that has completely changed. And
I think it's really important to involve that
financial care of the patient as part of
that care continuum when you're planning the care
of your patient.
Wonderful. Well, Kathy, thank you so much for
taking the time to join me today on
the Becker's healthcare podcast. Again, we are live
at the business and operation of ASTs.
Thank you for having me.
And I'd also like to say thank you
to CareCredit as well for sponsoring this episode.
You can tune in to more podcasts from
the Becker's Healthcare
by visiting our podcast page. Have a wonderful
rest of your day.