FEATURE


to align goals with payers. Rather than our surgery being a fee-for-service, it becomes a pay-for performance, which is where health care is heading.” In the first six months of provid- ing the warranty, Deukmedjian says the results have justified the offering. “We have had a few patients with some aches and pains who needed pain man- agement services, but aside from that, we have not had to perform any major treatments. I hear many compliments from patients because there is no delay in them getting any care they need. They seem to love it.”


Midwest Surgical Management Group’s Guarantee For more than 20 years, the surgery centers managed by Midwest Surgical Management Group, an ASC manage- ment company in Downers Grove, Illi- nois, have had a “patient service guar- antee” in place, says Janis Licari, vice president of quality management. Midwest Center for Day Surgery in


Downers Grove, Illinois, was the first of Midwest Surgical’s ASCs to implement the patient service guarantee in 1994. In the years that followed, Illinois ASCs Naperville Surgical Centre in Naper- ville, Tinley Woods Surgery Center in Tinley Park and Palos Hills Surgery Center in Palos Hills began offering their own patient service guarantee. “The patient service guarantee is a philosophy of business practice that we developed to tangibly demon- strate to our patients our commitment to quality of care by offering a genu- ine service guarantee with the sup- port of management behind it,” Licari says. “Should a patient find a reason for dissatisfaction, he or she need only inform a staff member, and we will do whatever is within our power to cor- rect it, even if it means a credit to the patient’s account.”


The guarantee is promoted to patients on the ASCs’ web sites and in facility brochures; it is displayed


Patients are increasingly shopping around for their health care services. Providing a guarantee on the quality of those services is a way to catch the attention of prospective patients.”


— Gayle R. Evans, RN, CASC Continuum Healthcare Consultants


in patient waiting rooms. Licari says Midwest Surgical is comfortable hav- ing its ASCs guarantee a high level of service. “Confidence in our services is based on the strong clinical processes we have put into place at our facilities. Our surgery centers are accredited by The Joint Commission, and consis- tently meeting their standards dem- onstrates that we have highly reliable, efficient and safe processes in place.” She continues, “We also employ


very qualified and committed staff who truly care about the well-being of their patients and take pride in the care they provide. Our ASCs’ govern- ing boards endorse the guarantee, and their staff and physicians support the rationale behind the guarantee.”


Even though Midwest Surgical’s ASCs receive high patient satisfaction marks, the ASCs are always working to find ways to improve. “All patient complaints or grievances, no matter how small, are reviewed by the director of clinical services and myself. If warranted, we may phone or write to the patient explaining our findings and letting them know we will use their feedback to improve our services whenever possible.”


While much has changed in health


care over the past two decades, she says, the reasons for keeping the guarantee in place have not. “With more competition in the surgery center industry than ever before, offering this genuine guarantee of satisfaction allows us to distinguish our facilities from other surgery centers in our service area.”


Delivering on the Promise The guarantees offered at these ASCs reflect the confidence they have in their ability to provide safe, high-quality surgical services, Evans says. “The guarantee sets the expectation of the care that they are going to have to provide day after day after day,” she says. “If an ASC has the data to show it is delivering excellent surgical ser- vices and positive outcomes, offering a guarantee is an effective way to publi- cize this performance.” Licari adds, “Having the guarantee


in place serves as a continuing incen- tive for us to maintain our commitment to meeting and hopefully exceeding our patients’ expectations.” Deukmedjian says he hopes to see


other ASCs begin to offer warranties and guarantees. “Patients deserve it. It can give them even greater confidence in their providers. It motivates every- body to do their very best from the very beginning for the patient. I think offer- ing a guarantee can be a win-win-win for patients, providers and payers.”


ASC FOCUS SEPTEMBER 2015 15


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