1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,799 This is Alan Conlon with the Becker's ASC 2 00:00:02,799 --> 00:00:03,299 podcast, 3 00:00:03,679 --> 00:00:06,000 and I'm thrilled to be joined today by 4 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:10,320 Melissa Rice, administrator of Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center 5 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:11,059 in Illinois. 6 00:00:11,439 --> 00:00:14,320 The surgery center is part of Trinity Health 7 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:15,539 as well, I believe. 8 00:00:15,945 --> 00:00:18,184 Melissa, pleasure to have you back on what 9 00:00:18,184 --> 00:00:20,265 I believe is your second podcast with us. 10 00:00:20,265 --> 00:00:21,464 I know you'll be here at our event 11 00:00:21,464 --> 00:00:23,225 next month as well. Really looking forward to 12 00:00:23,225 --> 00:00:25,005 having you speaking on a panel. 13 00:00:25,545 --> 00:00:27,839 Before we dive into our discussion today, I 14 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:29,199 love to turn the floor over to you 15 00:00:29,199 --> 00:00:30,480 just to hear a little bit more about 16 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,200 your role and your background at Loyola Ambulatory 17 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:34,020 Surgery Center. 18 00:00:34,719 --> 00:00:36,560 Yes. Thank you so much, Ellen. I am 19 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:38,719 very excited, that I'm on the Becker's AC 20 00:00:38,719 --> 00:00:41,375 podcast again. As you mentioned, Melissa Rice. I 21 00:00:41,375 --> 00:00:43,534 am currently the administrator of a multi specialty 22 00:00:43,534 --> 00:00:46,015 ambulatory surgery center that is with Loyola Health 23 00:00:46,015 --> 00:00:47,454 Medicine, and you are correct. We are part 24 00:00:47,454 --> 00:00:49,395 of the Trinity Health System. Very exciting. 25 00:00:50,174 --> 00:00:52,414 I've spent the last fifteen plus years in 26 00:00:52,414 --> 00:00:53,954 the ambulatory surgery space, 27 00:00:54,300 --> 00:00:56,399 leading centers, navigating compliance, 28 00:00:56,859 --> 00:00:57,920 managing finances, 29 00:00:58,539 --> 00:01:00,620 and most importantly, like, finding ways to make 30 00:01:00,620 --> 00:01:02,800 care more efficient and more patient focused. 31 00:01:03,340 --> 00:01:06,000 I'm passionate about blending clinical excellence with operational 32 00:01:06,060 --> 00:01:09,055 strategy to drive growth, improve outcomes, and support 33 00:01:09,055 --> 00:01:10,515 the teams that make it happen. 34 00:01:11,215 --> 00:01:13,375 Over the years, I've overseen process improvements that 35 00:01:13,375 --> 00:01:16,734 cut costs without sacrificing quality, help implement digital 36 00:01:16,734 --> 00:01:18,275 systems to streamline workflows, 37 00:01:18,575 --> 00:01:20,594 and led successful accreditation surveys. 38 00:01:21,569 --> 00:01:23,890 I also serve on the board of the 39 00:01:23,890 --> 00:01:24,390 ambulatory 40 00:01:25,010 --> 00:01:27,170 surgery center association for Illinois where I advocate 41 00:01:27,170 --> 00:01:28,870 for policy innovation, collaborative, 42 00:01:29,409 --> 00:01:31,969 collaboration in the outpatient care. I'm excited to 43 00:01:31,969 --> 00:01:33,250 be here today and share some of what 44 00:01:33,250 --> 00:01:33,909 I've learned, 45 00:01:34,225 --> 00:01:35,665 talk about the future of ACs, and maybe 46 00:01:35,665 --> 00:01:37,185 shed some light on how we can continue 47 00:01:37,185 --> 00:01:37,924 to evolve, 48 00:01:38,625 --> 00:01:41,204 health care delivery in meaningful and sustainable ways. 49 00:01:41,584 --> 00:01:43,745 Yeah. Fantastic. No. Thank you so much for 50 00:01:43,745 --> 00:01:45,584 the the brief kinda insight there as well. 51 00:01:45,584 --> 00:01:47,665 So fifteen plus years, I believe you said, 52 00:01:47,665 --> 00:01:48,965 in the ASC space. 53 00:01:49,500 --> 00:01:50,619 Quite a lot's happened, 54 00:01:51,019 --> 00:01:52,399 over the years, I imagine, 55 00:01:52,700 --> 00:01:53,200 potentially, 56 00:01:54,619 --> 00:01:56,939 arguably more challenging now than maybe before. But 57 00:01:56,939 --> 00:01:58,399 I'd love to kind of get your perspective. 58 00:01:58,619 --> 00:02:00,459 But talking to ASC leaders over the last 59 00:02:00,459 --> 00:02:01,200 few months, 60 00:02:01,834 --> 00:02:03,355 a lot going on when we think about 61 00:02:03,355 --> 00:02:06,174 kind of trends in Capitol Hill, potential reimbursement 62 00:02:06,395 --> 00:02:08,974 issues. What are the top two or three 63 00:02:09,275 --> 00:02:11,915 trends that you're paying closest attention to today, 64 00:02:11,915 --> 00:02:14,155 Melissa, in health care and the ASC space? 65 00:02:14,155 --> 00:02:15,375 Love to get your perspective. 66 00:02:16,349 --> 00:02:17,870 That's a great question because like you said, 67 00:02:17,870 --> 00:02:20,349 it's so hard to narrow down, like, what 68 00:02:20,430 --> 00:02:21,889 just down to three because there's 69 00:02:22,349 --> 00:02:24,270 it's it been evolving since day one. 70 00:02:24,830 --> 00:02:26,110 But here are the top three trends that 71 00:02:26,110 --> 00:02:27,870 I'm excited that I'm keeping a close eye 72 00:02:27,870 --> 00:02:29,870 on right now, you know, especially since I 73 00:02:29,870 --> 00:02:31,569 am on the ISCA board. 74 00:02:32,084 --> 00:02:34,164 The continued shift of higher acuity cases to 75 00:02:34,164 --> 00:02:36,504 the ASC setting, that's a really big one, 76 00:02:36,884 --> 00:02:38,644 that I've been watching because we're seeing more 77 00:02:38,644 --> 00:02:41,224 and more complex procedures like total joints, 78 00:02:41,844 --> 00:02:44,884 spine cases, and advanced pain management safely and 79 00:02:44,884 --> 00:02:45,384 successfully 80 00:02:46,090 --> 00:02:48,409 being done in outpatient settings. It's being driven 81 00:02:48,409 --> 00:02:49,469 by pain pressure, 82 00:02:49,769 --> 00:02:52,409 patient preference, and the advances, like, in with 83 00:02:52,409 --> 00:02:54,810 our fellow colleagues in the anesthesia group and, 84 00:02:54,810 --> 00:02:55,870 you know, and technology. 85 00:02:56,889 --> 00:02:58,909 Freyja sees this shift presents 86 00:02:59,625 --> 00:03:01,385 both like a big opportunity, but also a 87 00:03:01,385 --> 00:03:02,905 challenge. So we have to make sure that 88 00:03:02,905 --> 00:03:04,824 we're scaling it the right way with the 89 00:03:04,824 --> 00:03:05,645 proper infrastructure, 90 00:03:06,425 --> 00:03:09,145 staffing, and protocols in place to maintain safety 91 00:03:09,145 --> 00:03:11,465 and quality outcomes. You don't just kinda wanna 92 00:03:11,465 --> 00:03:13,544 throw all the patients, you know, in the 93 00:03:13,544 --> 00:03:14,444 same silo. 94 00:03:15,090 --> 00:03:17,169 Another one that I've been really thinking about, 95 00:03:17,650 --> 00:03:19,729 especially coming from such a wonderful large health 96 00:03:19,729 --> 00:03:21,909 care that we really work on maintaining 97 00:03:22,610 --> 00:03:25,330 staffing and burnout is, like, workforce resilience and 98 00:03:25,330 --> 00:03:26,150 staffing innovation. 99 00:03:27,104 --> 00:03:28,705 Like many in the industry, we're still feeling 100 00:03:28,705 --> 00:03:31,044 the ripple effects of workforce shortages, 101 00:03:31,905 --> 00:03:33,985 but it's also leading to innovation, whether it's 102 00:03:33,985 --> 00:03:37,425 cross training staff, investing in leadership development, or 103 00:03:37,425 --> 00:03:40,004 leveraging tech to reduce administrative burdens. 104 00:03:40,620 --> 00:03:41,659 At the end of the day, our people 105 00:03:41,659 --> 00:03:43,659 are our most valuable asset, so finding new 106 00:03:43,659 --> 00:03:45,580 ways to support them is a top priority, 107 00:03:45,580 --> 00:03:47,419 not only for myself, but also for our 108 00:03:47,419 --> 00:03:48,240 entire ministry. 109 00:03:48,860 --> 00:03:50,460 And I would say a third one that's 110 00:03:50,460 --> 00:03:53,099 pretty exciting for me is, like, data driven 111 00:03:53,099 --> 00:03:55,120 decision making and operational transparency. 112 00:03:55,935 --> 00:03:56,835 I had the opportunity, 113 00:03:57,775 --> 00:04:00,194 to speak at ASCA at their national conference 114 00:04:00,254 --> 00:04:02,415 last month, and data driven was one of 115 00:04:02,415 --> 00:04:04,175 the, topics that I spoke on, so it's 116 00:04:04,175 --> 00:04:06,254 very near and dear to my heart. But 117 00:04:06,254 --> 00:04:08,915 we've moved past tracking just basic metrics. 118 00:04:10,099 --> 00:04:11,959 We're now looking at integrated dashboards, 119 00:04:12,739 --> 00:04:13,799 real time benchmarking, 120 00:04:14,739 --> 00:04:16,199 and predictive analytics 121 00:04:17,060 --> 00:04:17,959 to guide decisions. 122 00:04:18,740 --> 00:04:21,539 So whether it's improving case costing, understanding the 123 00:04:21,539 --> 00:04:24,279 patient flow, or negotiating managed care contracts, 124 00:04:25,055 --> 00:04:27,294 access to actual data is no longer a 125 00:04:27,294 --> 00:04:30,115 nice to have. It's absolutely essential for staying 126 00:04:30,414 --> 00:04:31,474 competitive and efficient. 127 00:04:32,175 --> 00:04:34,414 Each of these trends ties back to delivering 128 00:04:34,414 --> 00:04:37,294 high quality patient centered care, but doing it 129 00:04:37,294 --> 00:04:39,534 smarter, more efficiently, and in a way that 130 00:04:39,534 --> 00:04:41,850 positions ASC for long term success. 131 00:04:42,789 --> 00:04:45,350 Got it. Also, data driven, like you said, 132 00:04:45,350 --> 00:04:47,430 not no longer a nice to have it. 133 00:04:47,430 --> 00:04:49,589 It's essential to really have a data driven 134 00:04:49,589 --> 00:04:52,009 analytics. It's a must have. The workforce resiliency 135 00:04:52,229 --> 00:04:54,235 aspect that you touched on as well. I'd 136 00:04:54,235 --> 00:04:56,954 love to just ask one quick follow-up on 137 00:04:56,954 --> 00:04:58,634 the first trend that you mentioned in terms 138 00:04:58,634 --> 00:05:00,794 of, obviously, a a trend that's been going 139 00:05:00,794 --> 00:05:02,634 on for quite some time in terms of 140 00:05:02,634 --> 00:05:04,014 the higher acuity cases, 141 00:05:04,314 --> 00:05:06,974 moving into the ASD and outpatient settings. 142 00:05:07,730 --> 00:05:09,569 You know, it's not that long ago, maybe 143 00:05:09,569 --> 00:05:11,090 four or five years, a little bit longer 144 00:05:11,090 --> 00:05:13,810 that complex spine surgeries, total joints, like you 145 00:05:13,810 --> 00:05:15,889 said, were done in hospitals with two or 146 00:05:15,889 --> 00:05:18,449 three nights stays in the hospitals. Now they're 147 00:05:18,449 --> 00:05:20,529 routinely being done with open ambulated in a 148 00:05:20,529 --> 00:05:21,509 couple of hours. 149 00:05:21,925 --> 00:05:23,785 You you mentioned that you saw it was 150 00:05:23,925 --> 00:05:26,245 a big opportunity, but maybe a challenge as 151 00:05:26,245 --> 00:05:28,084 well in terms of more of these complex 152 00:05:28,084 --> 00:05:30,404 cases moving to the ASC setting. Do you 153 00:05:30,404 --> 00:05:31,925 mind just elaborating on that a little bit 154 00:05:31,925 --> 00:05:34,185 in terms of the opportunity versus challenge? 155 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:36,879 Yeah. I think the big opportunity is that 156 00:05:36,879 --> 00:05:37,620 we're also, 157 00:05:38,319 --> 00:05:41,439 allowing patient preference and, opening the doors and 158 00:05:41,439 --> 00:05:43,919 then bringing them into a surgery center versus 159 00:05:43,919 --> 00:05:45,620 bringing them into a hospital setting. 160 00:05:46,079 --> 00:05:48,354 It's lower cost for the patients as we 161 00:05:48,354 --> 00:05:49,875 all know in the ASC space than to 162 00:05:49,875 --> 00:05:50,774 go to the hospital. 163 00:05:51,714 --> 00:05:53,794 I think the challenges that people really need 164 00:05:53,794 --> 00:05:55,875 to think about is making sure that these 165 00:05:55,875 --> 00:05:57,735 patients are ASC appropriate. 166 00:05:58,594 --> 00:06:00,594 You know, you're really vetting and going through 167 00:06:00,594 --> 00:06:02,534 their history and physical and that's where 168 00:06:03,029 --> 00:06:05,350 anesthesia comes into play where they're they're it's 169 00:06:05,350 --> 00:06:08,470 really a partnership whether they're, you know, actual 170 00:06:08,470 --> 00:06:08,970 employees, 171 00:06:09,670 --> 00:06:11,509 you're partnered up with a health care system, 172 00:06:11,509 --> 00:06:13,129 or it is a third party contractor. 173 00:06:13,509 --> 00:06:15,589 That is where you can take the challenge 174 00:06:15,589 --> 00:06:17,270 and turn it into an opportunity when you 175 00:06:17,270 --> 00:06:19,205 work together to make sure that these patients 176 00:06:19,205 --> 00:06:20,264 are ASC specific 177 00:06:20,725 --> 00:06:21,464 and appropriate. 178 00:06:22,324 --> 00:06:24,964 Got it. Yeah. And it ties into the 179 00:06:24,964 --> 00:06:26,404 next question I wanted to ask you about. 180 00:06:26,404 --> 00:06:28,404 I heard your voice, the uplift in your 181 00:06:28,404 --> 00:06:30,564 voice when you were talking specifically about data 182 00:06:30,564 --> 00:06:33,089 driven analytics and everything going on in that 183 00:06:33,089 --> 00:06:35,250 space. Can I assume that that that's an 184 00:06:35,250 --> 00:06:37,089 area that you're particularly excited about, or is 185 00:06:37,089 --> 00:06:38,370 there anything else that you'd like to flag 186 00:06:38,370 --> 00:06:40,069 when you think about the future of ASC? 187 00:06:40,610 --> 00:06:42,610 Yeah. You know what? I find it quite 188 00:06:42,610 --> 00:06:45,269 interesting when you start speaking to other colleagues 189 00:06:45,329 --> 00:06:47,454 in the ASC industry and just start talking 190 00:06:47,454 --> 00:06:49,214 about, you know, the challenges that you have, 191 00:06:49,214 --> 00:06:52,175 whether it be the ever, you know, issue 192 00:06:52,175 --> 00:06:53,615 that we have of, you know, costs going 193 00:06:53,615 --> 00:06:56,334 up and reimbursements going down. In trying to 194 00:06:56,334 --> 00:06:58,654 collaborate with your colleagues or people on your 195 00:06:58,654 --> 00:07:00,779 team as well is how do we make 196 00:07:00,779 --> 00:07:02,939 better decisions that we can actually start, you 197 00:07:02,939 --> 00:07:05,660 know, skimming and bringing down those those charges 198 00:07:05,660 --> 00:07:06,480 so that, you know, 199 00:07:06,939 --> 00:07:08,300 as we're all here, you know, for the 200 00:07:08,300 --> 00:07:09,579 the bottom line to be a little bit, 201 00:07:09,579 --> 00:07:11,980 you know, higher than lower. And it kind 202 00:07:11,980 --> 00:07:13,579 of blew my mind the first couple of 203 00:07:13,579 --> 00:07:15,500 conversations that I had, whether it be at 204 00:07:15,500 --> 00:07:18,175 Becker's conferences or other health care specific conferences, 205 00:07:18,555 --> 00:07:20,574 that a lot of people in executive 206 00:07:21,435 --> 00:07:23,535 positions really don't know their data. 207 00:07:23,915 --> 00:07:27,035 Mhmm. They rely on their amazing teammates and 208 00:07:27,035 --> 00:07:28,955 colleagues to be able to give them information 209 00:07:28,955 --> 00:07:30,634 when they're when they're asking, but they don't 210 00:07:30,634 --> 00:07:31,134 know 211 00:07:31,509 --> 00:07:35,129 the actual operational transparency of of those numbers. 212 00:07:35,830 --> 00:07:39,050 So, yes, data driven decision making is definitely 213 00:07:39,110 --> 00:07:41,209 a huge, passion of mine because 214 00:07:41,830 --> 00:07:44,730 collaborate collaborating with my, you know, my 215 00:07:45,084 --> 00:07:47,084 work here or with other colleagues and being 216 00:07:47,084 --> 00:07:48,365 able to show them how you could take 217 00:07:48,365 --> 00:07:50,204 the numbers that you already have and it 218 00:07:50,204 --> 00:07:52,604 tells a story. And it helps them have 219 00:07:52,604 --> 00:07:55,104 really great conversations whether it be, 220 00:07:55,564 --> 00:07:57,884 you know, managed care contracting or be, you 221 00:07:57,884 --> 00:08:00,224 know, some type of construct pricing for implants. 222 00:08:00,519 --> 00:08:02,680 But you have the numbers there to act 223 00:08:02,759 --> 00:08:04,759 to actually help you make those decisions. So 224 00:08:04,759 --> 00:08:05,259 it's 225 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:07,240 it's, it's like you said, it's not a 226 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:09,099 nice to have anymore. It is an absolute 227 00:08:09,319 --> 00:08:10,839 essential in order for you to stay, you 228 00:08:10,839 --> 00:08:12,060 know, ahead of the game. 229 00:08:12,599 --> 00:08:15,079 Yeah. I'm wondering I'm curious. Is there maybe 230 00:08:15,079 --> 00:08:18,115 a recent conversation that you kinda used? You 231 00:08:18,115 --> 00:08:20,194 were equipped and armed yourself with this data 232 00:08:20,194 --> 00:08:22,435 to have a great conversation with either physician, 233 00:08:22,435 --> 00:08:24,835 a surgeon over a procedure, or maybe a 234 00:08:24,835 --> 00:08:27,074 vendor, even a payer. Is there a specific 235 00:08:27,074 --> 00:08:28,935 example that you you found 236 00:08:29,529 --> 00:08:31,290 having this data driven decisions that are are 237 00:08:31,769 --> 00:08:34,009 tools at your disposal really helps kinda put 238 00:08:34,009 --> 00:08:35,210 you in a driver's seat, I guess, at 239 00:08:35,210 --> 00:08:37,470 the negotiation table or any of these conversations? 240 00:08:38,169 --> 00:08:39,769 Yeah. I wouldn't say it was a negotiating 241 00:08:39,769 --> 00:08:41,529 table. I felt mine was more from a 242 00:08:41,529 --> 00:08:44,169 educational standpoint, but it was, like, so meaningful 243 00:08:44,169 --> 00:08:45,149 for both parties. 244 00:08:45,845 --> 00:08:47,625 Like I said, I work for Loyola Health, 245 00:08:48,084 --> 00:08:50,884 and it's, you know, an academic center. So 246 00:08:50,884 --> 00:08:52,725 a lot of our providers have a lot 247 00:08:52,725 --> 00:08:55,284 of residents or fellows that, you know, follow 248 00:08:55,284 --> 00:08:57,704 them around and get amazing, you know, educational 249 00:08:57,764 --> 00:08:59,899 stuff from them. So being able to walk 250 00:08:59,899 --> 00:09:01,820 into a room and have the conversation with 251 00:09:01,820 --> 00:09:03,580 the primary surgeon to say, hey, you know, 252 00:09:03,580 --> 00:09:06,059 I don't think that this particular implant or 253 00:09:06,059 --> 00:09:09,019 this particular procedure with this payer, specifically for 254 00:09:09,019 --> 00:09:11,179 our center, is gonna be conducive towards our 255 00:09:11,179 --> 00:09:13,200 contract and what our, you know, our potential 256 00:09:13,259 --> 00:09:16,034 profitability is. And for these residents and fellows 257 00:09:16,034 --> 00:09:18,195 to then ask a follow-up question, it gives 258 00:09:18,195 --> 00:09:20,034 me the opportunity to be the teacher where 259 00:09:20,034 --> 00:09:21,095 I'm typically not. 260 00:09:21,714 --> 00:09:24,674 And it's been very beneficial because years later, 261 00:09:24,674 --> 00:09:26,595 I've had the opportunity for them to reach 262 00:09:26,595 --> 00:09:28,829 out and ask follow-up questions when they're in 263 00:09:28,829 --> 00:09:30,769 their own, practices now. 264 00:09:31,149 --> 00:09:32,750 So I feel that being able to show 265 00:09:32,750 --> 00:09:35,149 them ahead of the game versus before and, 266 00:09:35,149 --> 00:09:37,389 you know, after they're in practice has been 267 00:09:37,389 --> 00:09:38,289 definitely beneficial. 268 00:09:39,069 --> 00:09:40,669 Got it. So, like, almost like an ongoing 269 00:09:40,669 --> 00:09:43,084 education. So if somebody follows coming later on 270 00:09:43,084 --> 00:09:44,524 down the line from some of these residents 271 00:09:44,524 --> 00:09:46,464 like you've mentioned as well. Mhmm. 272 00:09:48,605 --> 00:09:50,924 Melissa, last question before before I let you 273 00:09:50,924 --> 00:09:52,924 go. I'd love to hear, how are you 274 00:09:52,924 --> 00:09:55,325 thinking about growth over the next twelve months 275 00:09:55,325 --> 00:09:57,139 or so? Is it adding more physicians, 276 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:00,339 expanding specialties, or or something completely different? 277 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:03,779 Yeah. I mean, over the next twelve months, 278 00:10:04,319 --> 00:10:06,639 we're approaching growth in a very intentional and 279 00:10:06,639 --> 00:10:08,720 strategic way. You know, there's multiple to the 280 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:10,579 reason for that, like we spoke about bringing, 281 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:11,860 different 282 00:10:12,345 --> 00:10:14,264 procedures into the center. So it's not just 283 00:10:14,264 --> 00:10:16,345 about the volume. It's about smart growth that's 284 00:10:16,345 --> 00:10:16,845 sustainable, 285 00:10:17,384 --> 00:10:19,704 patient centered, and aligned with, like, our clinical 286 00:10:19,704 --> 00:10:20,684 strengths as well. 287 00:10:21,304 --> 00:10:23,304 First, we're exploring opportunities to expand our case 288 00:10:23,304 --> 00:10:25,464 mix, you know, particularly areas like total joint 289 00:10:25,464 --> 00:10:28,799 and spine. You know, there are as we 290 00:10:28,799 --> 00:10:30,799 said before, a couple years ago, these cases 291 00:10:30,799 --> 00:10:32,559 were not something that you'd see in the 292 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:34,500 ASC space. Medicare has recognized 293 00:10:34,879 --> 00:10:36,819 that ASC appropriate patients 294 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:38,865 should be able to come here and be 295 00:10:38,865 --> 00:10:41,184 able to get the best care that they 296 00:10:41,184 --> 00:10:42,345 can. So we 297 00:10:42,785 --> 00:10:45,345 we're we've seen strong outcomes in increasing that 298 00:10:45,345 --> 00:10:47,665 demand. That means working closely with our physician 299 00:10:47,665 --> 00:10:49,445 partners to ensure we have the right protocols, 300 00:10:49,585 --> 00:10:50,085 equipment, 301 00:10:50,544 --> 00:10:52,465 and staffing in place to take on some 302 00:10:52,465 --> 00:10:53,924 of these more complex procedures. 303 00:10:55,059 --> 00:10:57,299 Secondly, as a ministry, we're focusing heavily on 304 00:10:57,299 --> 00:10:59,059 payer strategy. You know, we brought that up 305 00:10:59,059 --> 00:10:59,960 about contracts. 306 00:11:00,500 --> 00:11:03,159 As reimbursement dynamics continue to shift, 307 00:11:03,700 --> 00:11:06,019 and we're all feeling that, we're being proactive 308 00:11:06,019 --> 00:11:07,860 with our managed care contracts and working to 309 00:11:07,860 --> 00:11:10,154 demonstrate the value of ASCs bring. 310 00:11:10,555 --> 00:11:12,735 Like I said before, I am very, 311 00:11:13,195 --> 00:11:15,754 happy that I'm on the ASC board for 312 00:11:15,754 --> 00:11:16,254 Illinois, 313 00:11:16,555 --> 00:11:18,735 and we've brought some of our 314 00:11:19,274 --> 00:11:19,774 congressional, 315 00:11:20,795 --> 00:11:22,795 representatives and stuff into this mix for them 316 00:11:22,795 --> 00:11:25,195 to champion for ASCs and that type of 317 00:11:25,195 --> 00:11:27,429 stuff. So the more we can collaborate with 318 00:11:27,429 --> 00:11:29,750 payers to align incentives, the better position we 319 00:11:29,750 --> 00:11:30,970 are to grow responsibly. 320 00:11:31,750 --> 00:11:32,970 And I'd say a third, 321 00:11:33,350 --> 00:11:35,049 that we're investing is infrastructure, 322 00:11:35,350 --> 00:11:36,490 digital and physical. 323 00:11:36,950 --> 00:11:39,129 So whether it's improving like our scheduling systems, 324 00:11:39,509 --> 00:11:42,284 enhancing our EMR capabilities, or optimizing our supply 325 00:11:42,284 --> 00:11:42,784 chain, 326 00:11:43,245 --> 00:11:45,504 we're really focused on building a strong foundation 327 00:11:45,565 --> 00:11:49,084 that supports growth without sacrificing efficiency or patient 328 00:11:49,084 --> 00:11:49,584 experience. 329 00:11:50,365 --> 00:11:52,204 It's been great to be able to partner 330 00:11:52,204 --> 00:11:53,504 with a lot of our ASC 331 00:11:53,884 --> 00:11:54,784 specific vendors 332 00:11:55,129 --> 00:11:57,529 since I come from such a hospital based, 333 00:11:58,009 --> 00:11:58,509 system. 334 00:11:59,370 --> 00:12:01,209 You know, to me, growth isn't just about 335 00:12:01,209 --> 00:12:03,209 doing more. It's about doing better and doing 336 00:12:03,209 --> 00:12:04,429 it in a way that's scalable, 337 00:12:04,889 --> 00:12:07,450 strategic, and supportive, you know, for our team 338 00:12:07,450 --> 00:12:08,990 and for our patients as well. 339 00:12:09,684 --> 00:12:11,365 Got it. So no no growth for the 340 00:12:11,365 --> 00:12:13,204 sake of growth. Like you said, smart and 341 00:12:13,204 --> 00:12:15,445 strategic growth really like nailing down the things 342 00:12:15,445 --> 00:12:17,464 that make the most sense for your ASC. 343 00:12:17,764 --> 00:12:18,264 Yes. 344 00:12:18,644 --> 00:12:20,184 Got it. Melissa, 345 00:12:20,884 --> 00:12:24,350 fifteen minutes absolutely flies by. Absolutely. Really enjoyed 346 00:12:24,490 --> 00:12:26,250 having you on the podcast. Your second time 347 00:12:26,250 --> 00:12:27,070 on the podcast. 348 00:12:27,610 --> 00:12:29,289 Really, really looking forward to connect with you 349 00:12:29,289 --> 00:12:30,970 at our event next month here in Chicago, 350 00:12:30,970 --> 00:12:33,769 our spine, orthopedic, and pain management driven ASC 351 00:12:33,769 --> 00:12:36,090 event. Melissa, it's been an absolute pleasure. Thank 352 00:12:36,090 --> 00:12:38,052 you so much. Thank you, Ellen. I appreciate 353 00:12:38,052 --> 00:12:38,552 it.