COVER STORY
LOOKING AHEAD AT 2019 Key trends, challenges and opportunities
Experts within the ASC community share their opinion on what is coming down the pipeline this year.
Our Time is Now
Look for more procedures moving to outpatient settings, larger provider entities and market consolidation BY REBECCA CRAIG, RN, CASC
In 2019, we will continue to see independent physi- cian practices struggle to compete with their local health system’s physician
practices and keep up with the ever- increasing administrative and regula- tory burdens they are facing. In light of this, physicians will seek alter- natives, such as banding together to form larger provider entities, look to private equity firms and consider employment options with health sys- tems. Depending on the location/ community and specialty, the latter
option seems to be a popular path taken. That said, we will continue to see market consolidation with health systems continuing to employ physi- cians to gain market share and con- trol where patients receive their care and services. Strategically, it is a smart move on the health systems’ part, but that trend worries me for many reasons: ■■
Employed physicians are typically pulled away from the ASC setting as they are needed to cover addi- tional call coverage in the hospi- tal setting. Since they are at the hospital providing call coverage, they end up putting their outpatient cases there.
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Multiple studies show that consol- idation increases the health care spend overall and decreases physi- cians’ efficiency, which equates to less patients and less productivity.
To staff a new hospital or satel- lite in other areas of the state, the health system will try to expand and grow its market share. Even if an ASC is partnered with a health system that allows its physicians to continue participation at the ASC of choice, employment often leads to reorganization of the provider’s workflow and schedule, and that can make it difficult to have the same practice patterns in the ASC.
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