Hospital Outpatient Department & Ambulatory Surgery Center Case Study

Since outpatient surgical facilities have a lower risk of infection and provide quality care at a lower price, it’s no wonder they continue to grow in popularity. Sullivan Healthcare Consulting has partnered with many hospitals and physicians in developing and managing their ambulatory surgery center (ASCs). Our projects have ranged from single-room, physician-based facilities to multi-specialty joint ventures.
The Client
Learn how Sullivan consultants assisted a large Midwestern hospital struggling to resolve operational and staffing issues with a growing case volume at its ASC.
The Challenge
Absence of a clear strategic plan to address increased case volume
Surgeon resistance to the transition of outpatient cases to the ambulatory facility from the hospital main OR
General surgeons who wanted to complete outpatient cases at the hospital while taking acute-care surgery calls
How Our Consultants Increased Operational Efficiency & Staff Satisfaction
Our ASC consultants partnered with the hospital’s leadership to implement the following:
Established a Perioperative Executive Committee (PEC) to improve daily operations and developed detailed strategic and operational objectives for the transition of specific outpatient surgery cases and commensurate specialty-specific surgery program growth
Ensured that both the hospital OR and the ASC had strong representation on the PEC
Formed a Surgeon Advisory Group (SAG) to provide input on changes to department policies, processes, and workflows. This group was also instrumental in the selection of outpatient procedures to transition to the ASC and addressing specific surgeon concerns.
Implemented several performance improvement task forces to address scheduling and efficiencies
Transitioned to new perioperative leadership and specialty teams
Our Results
Stabilized and strengthened governance and the perioperative leadership team
Increased first case on-time starts from 46% to a sustained 92%
Increased utilization of the ASC from 42% to 84% during the day
Opened up 14 hours per week of block time for new surgeons and new inpatient volume
Resolved sterile processing department (SPD) quality issues
Transitioned ophthalmology, ENT, and most general surgery procedures to the ASC successfully
Expanded additional urology and orthopedic cases
Increased case volume and helped with planning to open two additional ORs
The client was so satisfied with our results that the project was later expanded to include interim leadership and ongoing leadership support to implement additional improvements.
Sullivan Implementation Support
During implementation, our consultants provide hospital administration with a list of quantitative measurements that identify where they started, six-month goals, and long-term/final goals. Our team of experts can ensure that the implementation of recommendations will result in a more-than-adequate return on investment.
To learn more about our ASC services and how Sullivan can help improve your organization’s performance, contact us today.
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