OR Manager - August 2019 - 23

Process improvement
using six to 10 different vendors, so
there was great variation in price. To
address that, we wanted to review
evidence and hear the claims about
which implants were best. "
Through a request for proposals,
Geisinger considered products available
from 12 different vendors. Of those 12,
he says, eight met Geisinger's price
caps, and four-including one long-time
vendor-were eliminated from their contracts.
One of the surgeons affected by
the loss of that vendor received training
from a new vendor, Dr Suk says. " We
partner with our vendors not just from a
price standpoint but to ensure that our
physicians are the best trained, and invite
them to provide that training largely
at their expense. "
Other early product request projects
included neurostimulation, orthobiologics,
and coronary revascularization-
all of which, Amora says, are not easy
and can take a lot of time. " I knew
we'd have success primarily through
physician partnerships, putting them in
the driver's seat, and giving them the
evidence, " he says. His supply chain
team learned how to collect evidence
and present it clearly, and the categories
of products were refined a couple
of times to enable physicians to compare
similar items.
" We were nervous about the level
of physician engagement, " Dr Suk
says. There were concerns about
doing more work without compensation,
but once the process began,
physicians got on board. And the net
result is a decrease in the number of
new requests, largely because surgeons
learned that sometimes what
they want to do is not that new, or the
products are already on the shelf, he
adds.
Asking physicians to review the evidence
increases their engagement, Dr
Suk says. And when the supply chain
team has questions, they know who
the clinical champion is. Furthermore,
he notes, the institute leader knows
www.ormanager.com
which of the institute members have
requested a product, and they can
have an open discussion about it.
" We have accountable leadership
throughout the process, " Dr Suk says.
" The physicians feel that they're not
just doing extra work but they actually
own the process. "
Michael Suk,
MD, JD, MBA,
MPH, FACS
Dr Suk believes this process
can be adopted at
other organizations.
" When you have the
ability to be transparent,
let physicians have a
high degree of autonomy
and decision making,
and encourage them to
own a positive clinical
outcome, those things are universal, "
he says. Conversations may differ according
to whether surgeons are employed
versus not employed by the organization,
but he says the process can
work regardless of employment model.
34347 ASC Manager Issue 1.indd 1
Ingredients for success
At MD Anderson, separating the safety
review from the business review and
implementing a rapid way for surgeons
to provide input helped dramatically
reduce the time to review new devices.
Geisinger achieved much greater
product standardization through its
process revisions, along with more
effective communication among physician
leaders. Both organizations
approached their product review processes
in different ways, but engaging
physicians was the common key to
success-and something other facilities
may wish to emulate. ✥
-Elizabeth Wood
References
Aloia T, Caudle, A. Create innovation
ramps, not roadblocks, to speed review
of new devices and procedures.
2019 OR Business Management
Conference, San Diego, California.
Suk M, Amora J. Leveraging physician
partnerships in reducing variation.
Webinar. March 7, 2019.
As an added benefit to
OR Manager subscribers,
we're introducing a new
Ambulatory Surgery
Center (ASC)-focused
supplement: ASC Manager.
This supplement will be
inserted quarterly and
expands on the monthly
articles specific to
ambulatory surgery that OR
Manager features.
TO SEE ISSUES
OF ASC MANAGER,
VISIT:
WWW.ASCMANAGER.COM
INTRODUCING
THE NEW ASC
MANAGER!
IN THIS ISSUE
Cybersecurity should be high
on healthcare priority lists 1
Early action advised to achieve
better OAS CAHPS responses 5
How many different procedures
are right for your ASC?
8
Track ASC metrics to produce a
healthy bottom line
10
Walk the talk: Words matter
when it comes to patient safety 14
Welcome to the first issue of OR
Manager's monthly Ambulatory Surgery
Center (ASC)-focused supplement:
ASC Manager. This supplement will be
inserted quarterly and is a new benefit
for subscribers.
The ASC market is projected to increase
from $36 billion in 2018 to
$40 billion by 2020 according to a
recent market watch report. Every
month, we publish content for ASCs in
OR Manager that keeps you on top of
trends, regulatory updates, and case
studies to increase efficiencies. Your
first quarterly supplement expands on
this coverage by honing in on facility
safety, patient safety, and practical
business advice.
We know that your role is constantly
changing, and we created this
supplement to continue to deliver
valuable articles to positively impact
your organizations and your professional
development. We hope you
enjoy this first issue of ASC Manager,
and please don't hesitate to reach out
if you have any feedback.
Elizabeth Wood
Editor
ewood@accessintel.com
Continued on page 8
Cybersecurity should be high on
healthcare priority lists
N
o homeowners willingly allow
a burglar to enter their home
and steal their most valuable
possessions. Instead, people put locks
on doors, install alarm systems, build
fences, or keep big dogs. The thieves
may still get in, but deterrents like
these will reduce the risk of a successful
burglary.
Nelson
Gomes
Ambulatory surgery centers
(ASCs) should likewise
think about security
measures to protect
their digital information.
There may be no foolproof
way to stop determined
hackers. But why make it easy
for them?
" You can and should decrease
your cybersecurity risks, " says Nelson
Gomes, president and CEO of PriorityOne
Group, which provides information
technology (IT) services and solutions
to healthcare organizations and other
businesses.
Conducting a risk assessment,
implementing protective devices and
practices, and educating employees
about the prevalence of hacking are
essential action items for avoiding potential
security breaches.
Continued on page 2
3/29/19 2:38 PM
35036 ASC Manager 1/3V Ad.indd 1
7/3/19 10:49 AM
OR Manager | August 2019 23
http://WWW.ASCMANAGER.COM http://www.ormanager.com
OR Manager - August 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of OR Manager - August 2019
