Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
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4 0 • O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 0 August were $90. "We try to stay on top of these issues and address them as quickly as possible, so we can keep moving forward with everybody trained properly and getting maximum use out of every tool we have," says Ms. McCafferty. • Smart shopping. The surgery center strives to avoid ordering a surplus of supplies. "We don't want things sitting on the shelves in order to avoid wast- ing expired items," says Ms. McCafferty. The ordering process is highly strategic. "Before I make a monthly order of supplies, I always look at the projected case volume," says Ms. McCafferty "Because I've worked with our surgeons for so long, I can guesstimate a little bit, plus or minus a few cases, what we're going to use." Eye 35's vendors have worked with the center during the pandemic on pricing and providing a heads-up on availability of supplies like PPE. If cer- tain meds aren't available, the ASC adjusts. "We always have backup plans," says Ms. McCafferty. Ms. Scutt even price-checks Amazon in addition to the ASC's normal suppliers. "There have been HONORABLE MENTION Constant Cost Analysis Is Critical Procedural costs can be fluid, so it's important to keep an eye on the changes in real-time. "Maintaining strict cost analysis for all proce- dures is the most critical thing we do to save on supply costs and maximize profits," says Charlie McDill, RN, credentialing coordinator at Northwest Florida Surgery Center in Panama City. "Our scheduler and materials manager work closely together to gather the most current infor- mation related to each procedure and to ensure accurate input is used to determine pricing." The scheduler verifies insurance and reim- bursement amounts based on procedure codes before scheduling cases, and then com- pares them to case cost. "If it's a low reim- bursement procedure, or if implants are required, we review the numbers again and verify with the administrator before posting the case," says Mr. McDill. The center then provides patients with esti- mates of their out-of-pocket expenses, and offers payment plans if necessary. On the supply side of the equation, the cen- ter's materials manager regularly compares products and pricing with three vendors. Reviews and updates to the center's cost index occur every six months. "If unexpected or signifi- cant price changes are noted in the interim, pro- cedure cards are updated immediately," says Mr. McDill, adding that changes in pricing are researched to determine if they're temporary due to availability issues or permanent due to increased manufacturing costs or other factors. Pricing is then adjusted accordingly. "Knowing supply costs and lengths of proce- dures allows us to be prepared to use appropri- ate items, so no waste happens," says Mr. McDill. OR staff contribute to the savings as well. "They're very conscientious when opening sup- plies, so that we open just enough to get cases started," says Mr. McDill. "They hold extra items on standby in an effort to save on supply costs and reduce wasted resources." — Joe Paone PLEASE STAND BY For a shoulder athroscopy about to be performed at Northwest Florida Surgery Center, the table on the right is stacked with opened supplies the OR staff knows will be used. The "hold table" is on the left with supplies that will be opened only if needed. Northwest Florida Surgery Center FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT