Industry leaders share main growth opportunities for ASCs

Editor's Note

Following are various growth opportunities for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), as identified by four industry leaders and published by Becker’s ASC Review on May 10:

Sean Hartzell, principal of ECG Management Consultants, identified:

• Growth potential in shifting low- to medium-acuity and single-night stay cases from hospitals to ASCs
• Increased screening guidelines are driving growth in gastrointestinal and colorectal cases
• There’s growing demand for lower-acuity cardiology procedures, though the transition is gradual
• Incorporation of robotic surgeries are increasing but being tempered by reimbursement rates.

Michael McClain, founder of LeftCoast Healthcare Advisors, identified:

• Cardiovascular/vascular services—Expansion in interventional cardiology and electrophysiology procedures
• Robotically assisted orthopedic and spine procedures—Growth driven by more affordable robotic services and payer acceptance
• Women’s services—Underserved area with potential for same-day alternatives for cancer care, biopsies, and hysterectomies, traditionally managed by cancer centers and hospital outpatient departments.

Alok Sharan, MD, surgeon at Spine and Performance Institute, identified:

• Many spine surgeries, such as laminectomies and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, are already being performed in ASCs. There’s growth opportunity in migrating lumbar fusions to ASCs, supported by protocols like rapid recovery spine surgery and awake spine surgery techniques.

Jon Vick, president of ASC Consulting Company Vick & Company, identified:

• Many ASCs are reaching capacity, necessitating additional ORs and larger facilities. Expansion can be funded through sale-leaseback transactions, which provide capital for growth without the need for loans or upfront cash.

“What’s our cost per case?”

“Can Dr. Smith’s office take our open time this week?”

“Can you update all our preference cards today?”

If you’re having trouble answering these questions, don’t miss this webinar. Using digital preference cards and OR scheduling tools, you’ll see how more accessible data can empower your team.

In this session, surgical business managers will discover strategies for reducing costs per case, optimizing labor utilization, and keeping ORs from idling. Nurses will discover time-saving strategies for preference card management and room turnover.

With real-world insights from the OR, viewers will leave with actionable solutions to streamline processes and drive measurable improvements in their surgical department.

Aileen R. Killen, RN, PhD, CPPS is the Director, Perioperative Excellence at LiveData. In her role, she collaborates with LiveData on strategies for adoption and utilization of PeriOp Manager, a surgical workflow solution. In addition to holding perioperative leadership positions in some of the country’s leading medical facilities, including New York University Medical Center, The Hospital for Special Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Aileen was also heavily involved in the patient safety arena as an AHA-NPSF Patient Safety Leadership Fellow, where she focused on designing operating rooms for patient and staff safety. In 2014, she was appointed as Global Head of Healthcare Consulting at AIG, where she established AIG as a safety thought leader across the global healthcare industry. Aileen earned a diploma in nursing from Sacred Heart Hospital School of Nursing and a BSN from DeSales University, both in Allentown, Pennsylvania. She holds an MS in Nursing from the University of Maryland in Baltimore, a Master of Science in Health Policy and Management from New York University, and a PhD from Boston College School of Nursing.

 

Ethan Nobbs is the CEO of PREFcards LLC., a leading SaaS health tech company dedicated to transforming healthcare operations through innovative technology solutions. With a Bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University, Ethan brings over 20 years of progressive leadership experience in operations management across diverse business environments.

Throughout their career, Ethan has built and led high-performance teams, delivering results in P&L management, marketing, business development, operations, and supply chain. This diverse experience has enabled him to navigate the complexities of the healthcare industry and lead PREFcards with the goal to empower healthcare organizations with cutting-edge solutions that streamline OR workflows, enhance efficiency, and drive measurable impact.
 

Join a distinguished panel of healthcare leaders as they explore the pivotal trends shaping perioperative strategy in 2025. Janet Stifter, PhD, RN, CPHQ, NE-BC, Vice President of Hospital Operations for Perioperative and Interventional Services, Rush University Medical Center, Dio Sumagaysay, RN, MS, Vice President, Perioperative & Multispecialty Procedural Services, OHSU, and Brian Dawson, MSN, RN, CNOR, CSSM, President and CEO of BD Perioperative and Healthcare Consulting, Former System Vice President of Perioperative Services, CommonSpirit Health, will offer an incisive analysis of 2024’s key lessons and share forward-looking strategies and predictions to drive innovation and success in the year ahead.

This dynamic discussion will challenge traditional approaches, highlight transformative advancements, and deliver actionable insights for navigating the evolving perioperative landscape.

Key Topics:

• Critical reflections on 2024: Insights into successes, setbacks, and operational changes that shaped 2024.
• Emerging trends: Predictions on clinical advancements and technological innovations, market shifts and workforce dynamics poised to impact perioperative operations in the coming years.
• Actionable insights: Strategic discussion on expectations for 2025 and approaches to improving patient outcomes while strengthening financial performance.

Speakers:

Dr. Janet Stifter, PhD, RN, CPHQ, NE-BC, is the Vice President of Hospital Operations for Perioperative and Interventional Services and Professional Nursing Practice at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. With over 30 years of nursing leadership, she is a champion for quality, safety, and evidence-based care. Dr. Stifter’s career spans accreditation, regulatory compliance, professional development, and advancing technology to enhance patient care. She has shared insights on reducing the cognitive burden of complex health technologies, drawing from RUMC’s successful implementations. Renowned for her leadership in perioperative nursing, she focuses on professional growth and using innovation to improve outcomes in complex cases.

Dr. Stifter holds a PhD and BS in Nursing from the University of Illinois Chicago and an MS in Nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

 

Dio Sumagaysay, RN, MS, is the Vice President of Perioperative & Multi-Specialty Procedural Services at Oregon Health & Science University Hospital (OHSU) in Portland, Oregon. In this role, he partners with CNOs and COOs across OHSU system hospitals, including OHSU Hillsboro Medical Center and Adventist Health Portland, to advance surgical care, nursing practice, and strategic priorities. Before joining OHSU, Dio spent 11 years in administrative roles as Director of Nursing, Perioperative Services at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, and Director of Surgical Services at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas in San Diego. He also served seven years in clinical and leadership roles at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and Georgia Regional Hospital in Savannah.

Dio holds a BS in Nursing from the University of St. La Salle, Philippines, and an MS in Nursing Administration from New York University.

Brian Dawson, MSN, RN, CNOR, CSSM, is the President and CEO of BD Perioperative and Healthcare Consulting, LLC, providing expert guidance to clients such as Sutter Solano Hospital, Keck Hospital of USC, and St. Joseph Medical Center of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. Previously, he served nearly seven years as System VP of Perioperative Services at CommonSpirit Health, where he led strategic and operational initiatives for perioperative services across 120 hospitals. Under his leadership, surgical volumes grew by 35%, and surgical services expanded by 20%.

A Naval veteran, Brian’s roles included COO of Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune and CEO of the U.S. Naval Hospital in Okinawa, Japan, the Navy’s largest overseas medical facility. He holds a BS in Nursing from American University and an MS in Nursing Administration/Leadership with honors from Old Dominion University.

 

Rami Karjian is the Head of OR Business at LeanTaaS. He began his journey in healthcare with McKinsey & Co, working together with health systems to improve patient flow across different areas of their hospitals. After a few years in the US, he moved to Asia to lead the Firm’s Service Operations practice in the region.

After over a decade with McKinsey based in the US and Asia, working with clients across the globe, Rami wanted the challenge and learning of directly taking on a scaled operating role. He joined Flextronics, as President of their Global Services division (the leading high-tech repair and logistics company globally). In that role, he led a business of 15,000 employees with operations in 25 sites across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In addition to driving a transformation of that $1B+ revenue business he also incubated and spun-out a supply-chain SaaS company.

Moderators: 

Carrie Shapiro, CMP is the Senior Conference Manager for the OR Manager Conference and OR Business Management Conference. She has more than 25 years of experience in business-to-business media organizing trade shows, conferences and industry events.

Tarsilla Moura is the Content Director for OR Manger, OR Manager Conference and OR Business Management Conference.

Register now by completing the form below. Following the webinar, you will be able to take an evaluation and receive 1 CE.

Register now by completing the form below. Following the webinar, you will be able to take an evaluation and receive 1 CE

A High-Reliability Organization (HRO) is an organization that experiences fewer accidents or events of harm than otherwise anticipated, despite operating in a complicated and risky environment. Many healthcare organizations aspire to become HROs.

Periop teams play an essential role in advocating and implementing the HRO agenda. Applying HRO principles to daily functions in the operating room is a way to safeguard patient safety, even during moments of considerable change or disruption in the surgical suite.

This session offers a blueprint for periop staff desiring to integrate high reliability principles into their workflows. Our clinical nursing experts will review each of the five foundational principles of HROs. They’ll provide strategies and examples as to how each principle can be applied within the OR to impact care in a positive way.

Aileen R. Killen, RN, PhD, CPPS is the Director, Perioperative Excellence at LiveData. In her role, she collaborates with LiveData on strategies for adoption and utilization of PeriOp Manager, a surgical workflow solution. In addition to holding perioperative leadership positions in some of the country’s leading medical facilities, including New York University Medical Center, The Hospital for Special Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Aileen was also heavily involved in the patient safety arena as an AHA-NPSF Patient Safety Leadership Fellow, where she focused on designing operating rooms for patient and staff safety.

Jeffrey Oliver, Lt Col, Ret., CCNS, CNOR has over 30 years of nursing experience and has served in a variety of nursing roles throughout his career. He was commissioned in the United States Air Force in 1995. He was deployed three times during his twenty-five-year career. Jeff was assigned as faculty at the Uniformed Services University Graduate School of Nursing and served as the Perioperative Nursing Consultant to the Air Force Surgeon General before retiring from the Air Force in March 2021. Jeff then served as the Director of Surgical Services at a community hospital in South Carolina before joining LiveData as a Clinical Support Specialist.

Register now by completing the form below. Following the webinar, you will be able to take an evaluation and receive 1 CE

Now more than ever, it’s crucial for health systems to maximize utilization of their highest-value assets. Shrinking margins and staff scarcity have changed the way hospitals and ASCs look at their Operating Room block allocation. Wasted block time can threaten the financial viability of a department, and turning around an inefficient OR requires a purposeful, data-driven approach.

Leaders at Northwest Specialty Hospital identified the need for a Block Optimization solution, but their first partnership ended with disappointment and frustration. Rather than give up on the idea, they decided to try a new approach and were able to achieve their goals through meaningful collaboration.

In this webinar, we’ll speak to JJ Turbin, Executive Director of Finance, about what he learned from the experience and how he persevered to find a solution that fit Northwest’s needs.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the most impactful effects of predicting and tracking surgical block utilization
• Discuss the value of collaboration when adopting a block optimization solution
• Build an evaluation framework to measure success when implementing a new block management process

Speaker:

JJ Turbin is an Executive Director of Finance at Northwestern Specialty Hospital. With over 10 years of experience in healthcare finance, JJ currently serves as the Executive Director of Finance at Northwest Specialty Hospital, overseeing accounting, treasury, and accounts payable teams. He provides strategic financial leadership, focusing on month-end close processes, forecasting, and financial analysis to drive hospital performance.

His career includes roles as a Senior Financial Analyst, where he managed P&L analysis, contract negotiations, and profitability assessments, and as Quality Assurance Manager, where he led compliance and safety initiatives. He is passionate about leveraging data to optimize operations and improve patient care.

He holds an MBA in Healthcare Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Communications.

Register now by completing the form below. Following the webinar, you will be able to take an evaluation and receive 1 CE.

In this encore presentation of LiveData’s seminar at the OR Manager Conference, LiveData Clinical Support Specialist Jeffrey Oliver, Lt. Col, Ret., CCNS, CNOR, will explain how a medical center in the southeastern US increased their OR throughput after widespread pandemic slowdowns.

By deploying analytics-driven insights, the hospital found where workflow updates would most impact OR capacity. While the medical center was able to increase capacity to schedule more patients and eliminate wait times, this led to a new challenge: with over a dozen hospitals and ASCs nearby, local practices held out for visible scheduling improvements before filling the hospital’s newly-created capacity.

This condensed session will explain in detail how focusing on six metrics was the most effective way for the hospital to attract new cases, resulting in a 6% growth in case volume.

Learning objectives:

• Understand why six metrics had an outsized impact on OR capacity
• Identify practical analytic methods to track these six key indicators
• Summarize how a comprehensive OR scheduling policy and governance structure can address the six key metrics at an institutional and individual level

Speaker:

Jeffrey Oliver, Lt Col, Ret., is a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CCNS) and certified perioperative nurse (CNOR). He has over 30 years of nursing experience and has served in a variety of nursing roles throughout his career. He was commissioned in the United States Air Force in 1995. He was deployed three times during his twenty-five-year career. Jeff was assigned as faculty at the Uniformed Services University Graduate School of Nursing and served as the Perioperative Nursing Consultant to the Air Force Surgeon General before retiring from the Air Force in March 2021. Jeff then served as the Director of Surgical Services at a community hospital in South Carolina before joining LiveData as a Clinical Support Specialist.

Register now by completing the form below. Following the webinar, you will be able to take an evaluation and receive 1 CE.

In response to rising healthcare demands, hospitals seek to enhance service delivery without costly expansions. This presentation showcases WakeMed Health’s innovative approach to ensuring access and optimizing their capacity within their operating rooms and procedural rooms.

Dr. Charles Harr, CMO at WakeMed, will demonstrate the crucial role of physician and anesthesia leader involvement in optimizing both operating room and procedural area utilization. He will share insights on how they leveraged innovative capacity optimization technologies and transformation services in conjunction with their EHR systems, highlighting real-world benefits and cost savings achieved through these strategic improvements including:

• 11% increase in prime-time case minutes across their operating rooms
• 21% increase in prime-time case minutes within their procedural areas
• Reaching an system high in proactively released block minutes, increasing 13.5% year-over-year

Learn how WakeMed’s approach minimized waste, maximized high-value resources, and led to significant operational efficiencies and financial gains. This session offers a blueprint for healthcare organizations seeking to optimize their most valuable resources in today’s challenging environment.

Learning Objectives:

• Examine the role of physician and anesthesia leaders in implementing proactive access and capacity management strategies to optimize OR and procedural room utilization.
• Evaluate the benefits of integrating capacity management technologies and services with existing EHR systems to enhance hospital operational efficiency.
• Analyze how strategic improvements in capacity management can lead to substantial cost savings through minimized resource waste and maximized utilization of expensive equipment and procedural areas.

Speaker:

Charles D. Harr, MD, MBA
Rear Admiral, MC, SHCE (Ret.)
CMO / Executive Healthcare Strategist

Dr. Harr has more than 25 years of healthcare experience in commercial and military healthcare across various levels of care – including acute, ambulatory, sub-acute, behavioral and long-term – as well as payers. Dr. Harr is a savvy and dedicated healthcare executive committed to optimizing organizational performance, delivering leading-edge care, and generating exceptional, cost-effective results. He is an accomplished Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeon with a reputation as a leading physician in the field of minimally invasive robotic techniques. He established an exceptional program ranked #2 in volume in the Mid-Atlantic Region and #18 in the United States. Dr. Harr is an avid proponent of advances in medicine and healthcare. He has led numerous initiatives and innovative solutions that consistently improve quality of care and patient outcomes. As the lead clinical physician and skilled educator, he employed state-of-the-art innovations in healthcare and evidence-based practices to provide general surgery residents with outstanding thoracic surgical training at a nationally ranked healthcare facility. He is known as a results-focused and resourceful visionary who advocates lifelong learning.

Registration form