The ingredients for a successful ophthalmic ASC include a high surgical volume, qualified staff, cutting-edge technology, marked efficiency, a solid reputation, and targeted marketing efforts. Eye surgery centers have proven a cost-effective, productive, and patient-friendly approach for performing low-risk outpatient surgical procedures, and a growing number of ophthalmologists are choosing to open these facilities.
We interviewed ophthalmologists from three eye surgery centers that are benchmarks for success in the ASC market. The ASCs are of different sizes and are located in different markets. Each used its own method for achieving success, a fact demonstrating that there is no single formula for all centers. What these ASCs share is a group of people with a vision and strong commitment to success.
MID-FLORIDA EYE CENTER IN MOUNT DORA, FLORIDADesign
In 1987, Jeffrey Baumann, MD, and Gregory Panzo, MD, designed a unique eye care practice, one comprising physicians who have a range of eye care expertise, who hold themselves to the strictest standards, and who place great emphasis on patient satisfaction. Dr. Baumann, who specializes in cataract surgery and corneal disease, and Dr. Panzo, who specializes in cataract surgery and glaucoma, made every effort to recruit top physicians in their respective areas of interest. Their practice now includes a retinal and macular specialist; a cosmetic, plastic and reconstructive surgeon; and a LASIK and cataract specialist.
In 1992, this progressive eye care team applied similar commitment to opening their area's first ASC dedicated to ocular surgery. The 3,200-square-foot facility has two ORs and was the site for nearly 7,000 surgical procedures in 2002. Mid-Florida Eye Center's surgeons have seen more than 100,000 patients and performed more than 40,000 cataract procedures.
Mission
Managing the center with the strictest safety standards and communicating that mission to patients has always been the physicians' top priority. “We wanted to reassure our patients that we provide very safe environments in which to have surgery performed,” said Dr. Baumann, Medical Director. Attaining accreditation for the center from the Accrediting Association for Ambulatory Healthcare and Certification (AAAHC) was a major step toward fulfilling this mission.
Recognition
When Mid-Florida Eye Center was recently named the best ophthalmology practice in the greater Orlando area by Florida Medical Business, the five partners largely credited the center's efficiency and quality. “It was essential to us from the beginning that our ambulatory surgery center be held to the strictest standards possible, and we sought accreditation by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Healthcare and Certification by Medicare as soon as we were eligible,” said Dr. Panzo.
Mid-Florida Eye Center's recognition as the region's best practice carries enormous weight thanks to the caliber of the Blue Ribbon panel, which included the President of the Florida Medical Association, the Director of Medical Policy and Review for Medicare, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Florida Hospital Association, and the Chairman of the Florida Board of Medicine.
In addition, the ASC's physicians and staff constantly monitor patient satisfaction. In a recent survey conducted by an independent firm, 99.5% of the facility's patients responded favorably about their experience there. Dr. Baumann noted that their “focus on maximizing our efficiency to limit our patients' waiting time … reduces their anxiety.”
“It's not just physicians who are responsible for our patients' saying they've received excellent care; it's our whole staff,” added Keith Charles, MD, a partner at Mid-Florida Eye Center. “They're compassionate and knowledgeable and explain what's happening at every step of the process. Many of our patients are elderly and have never experienced this type of surgery before. Our staff reassures them and answers all their questions until they're comfortable they understand every nuance.”
“Postop kits are provided so patients don't have to make a trip to the pharmacy prior to, or following, surgery,” commented Dr. Charles. “Insurance and financial arrangements are made at the time of the preop testing, so on the day of surgery the patient can relax as much as possible and concentrate on seeing better. Each postop patient is contacted by a staff member several hours after discharge.”
SHEPHERD EYE SURGICENTER IN LAS VEGASDesign
To escape the inefficiency he observed in hospital-based care, John R. Shepherd, MD, opened the Shepherd Eye Surgicenter in 1983. Twenty years later, this 2,900-square-foot facility has a reputation as the place for cataract surgery in Nevada. The ASC includes two ORs plus pre- and postoperative areas. The center's highly skilled physicians and staff perform more than 5,000 ophthalmic procedures annually, a higher volume than performed at any other healthcare facility in the state.
The landmark accomplishments of the physicians at the Shepherd Eye Surgicenter include being the first in Nevada to use an IOL implant during cataract surgery and the first in the state to perform sutureless cataract surgery. Theirs is also the first and only AAAHC-accredited outpatient surgery center in the state.
The center has participated in multiple FDA-monitored studies of various IOLs and was one of the first four original investigative sites for the STAAR IOLs (STAAR Surgical Company, Monrovia, CA). The result of their involvement is that the Shepherd Eye Surgicenter is able to offer the most advanced cataract surgery technology to their patients before it becomes available to the general public.
Mission
Being on the cutting edge of technology is not the only reason for the ASC's success. The center's mission, to “put the patient's comfort and quality of care first,” is reflected in the staff's commitment to uphold the highest standards denoted by AAAHC-accreditation and Medicare certification. The nurses and technicians are specially trained to provide a safe and comfortable surgical experience, while the ORs are designed to facilitate a smooth, relaxed experience for the patient. The center supports annual continuing medical education for its physicians and staff, while daily and weekly training programs for the center's technicians assure that they are the most qualified to attend to patients' comfort and care.
Marketing
Communicating the facility's reputation as one of the most advanced eye surgery centers in the area is important. Because Las Vegas has been one of the fastest growing cities in the nation for the past 10 years, the ASC's staff works hard to ensure that the approximately 4,000 new residents who move to the area monthly are aware of the center's reputation. Through print, television, and radio advertising, the staff informs the local community of the surgical advances with which the physicians have been involved during the past 25 years.
“As we look to the future, Shepherd Eye recognizes that, as Las Vegas continues its rapid growth, we will need to follow suit,” commented Christina A. Kennelley, Administrator of Shepherd Eye Surgicenter. “We may consider building a second ASC if volume and growth of the city demands it. We look forward to continuing Dr. Shepherd's mission of putting the patient's comfort first and combining it with advanced technology and a high quality of care.”
“We are also involved in most community health fairs, and, on a weekly basis, we send a team out to perform free vision screenings at various senior citizen centers throughout the city,” she added. “This hard work has paid off with patient volume and corresponding surgical volume of the practice growing 7% to 10% each year.”
EYE SURGERY CENTER OF EAST TENNESSEE IN KNOXVILLEDesign
In 1996, Philip Campbell, MD, Leslie Cunningham, MD, and Christopher Taylor, MD, recognized the need for a more convenient, cost-effective, and efficient outpatient-surgery offering in the Knoxville area. They realized that the best solution would meet the growing needs of patients while allowing the physicians to become more specialized in ophthalmology. They partnered with AmSurg Corp. (Nashville, TN) to build the Eye Surgery Center of East Tennessee. The three surgeons operate in a 2,200-square-foot, state-of-the-art outpatient facility. The center has averaged a yearly growth rate of 25% since 1996.
“The effective utilization of space, modern technology, and the use of advanced surgical and anesthesia technologies have enabled us to increase our total patient volume while reducing each of our OR times,” said Dr. Campbell.
Mission
“In designing this outpatient surgery center, our goal was to provide patients with convenient access to advanced care delivered in facilities that are equipped and staffed specifically for those services,” said Dr. Cunningham.
To meet that goal, Drs. Campbell, Cunningham, and Taylor and AmSurg Corp. decided to locate the ASC within the physicians' office for the patients' convenience. As a result, they need not visit separate locations in order to obtain clinical and surgical care. This centralization promotes patients' familiarity with the practice and staff and results in a less stressful experience.
Campbell, Cunningham & Taylor, PC's 50-year reputation for quality eye care forms only part of the ASC's success. “We knew that we wanted to continue to offer our patients the same high level of service and quality of care that they came to expect from Campbell, Cunningham & Taylor, but also offer our patients the convenience of cutting-edge technology in an on-site ASC,” said Dr. Cunningham.
In addition to the practice's long-standing reputation and the physicians' commitment to innovation, the staff prides itself on teamwork and advanced training in ophthalmology.CONCLUSION
Identifying an objective, hiring staff members based on that purpose, and training them to consistently fulfill that mission is paramount to the success of any eye surgery center. The current trend in healthcare is to cease attempting to be all things to all people. Similarly, ophthalmologists must choose a simple, easily conveyed principle for their ASCs and straightforwardly communicate it to patients in order to achieve success.
Michelle Ledbetter is Executive Assistant to the Senior Vice President of Operations for AmSurg Corp. in Nashville, Tennessee. Ms. Ledbetter may be reached at (800) 945-2301; mledbetter@amsurg.com.
Jim Denning is CEO of Discover Vision Centers in Kansas City, Missouri. Mr. Denning may be reached at (818) 478-1230; jdenning@discovervision.com.
