FEATURE
codes, NJAASC can guide the center to go down the right path, so it does not spend a lot of time and money and still have compliance issues, Weiss explains. “One of the biggest requests we get is for copies of current licenses and regulations,” he says. “Increas- ingly, there is more oversight with facilities, more need for finding qual- ified contractors/vendors, and we are there to offer networking. It is probably the number one reason why people join our state associations. It’s commisera- tion, sharing ideas and best practices.” NJAASC has competing vendors
that exhibit at its events every year and it can be a one-stop shop for all kinds of vendor services. The asso- ciation also has a vendor directory on its web site. “If you’re not vetting out, in most cases, you’re going to run into some trouble,” Weiss says. “Just health care experience is not good
enough, your vendor needs to have ASC experience.”
“The independent centers don’t have management companies or hospitals to rely on, and we are their one lifeline to other organizations,” Weiss says.
Government Access “Together, ASCs can have a larger voice in stopping pending laws and regulations that could put surgery cen- ters at a disadvantage in the market,” Jackson says. “Moreover, a strong state lobbying presence can give all ASCs more leverage in negotiating more competitive reimbursement rates and network options.” Skagen says that it is also his role
to keep his association members informed about the frequent regula- tory and legislative changes that occur in their state. “Those changes directly impact our members’ decisions on facility services. For example, in Ore- gon, we have a new bill that requires the certification of surgical techs, and we have been actively involved in informing our members on how to comply and succeed as a business with this requirement.” To keep all of the association’s members informed and involved, he visits them personally to deliver information and tap into their expertise related to the ever-changing proposals. “The members are my eyes and ears on what’s going on,” he says. “I can take their views and shape them into the policies. I take that and use it in meaningful and creative ways.” His associations host administrator lunches and administrator round tables, Skagen says, and he takes those dis- cussions to his lobbying team. “These are powwows to discuss regulations and how the state associations can help them shape it and, in the process, help the ASC community,” he says. The communication with the regula-
tory environment is key, Weiss agrees. “When changes are made at a state level, you won’t find a whole lot of commu- nication or information from any other source,” he says. “Increasingly in many states, we are more a collaboration with the state department than contention. They consult with us when contemplat- ing making changes.”
18 ASC FOCUS JUNE/JULY 2016
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