HST Pathways

ICYMI: Here's what's going on This Week in Surgery Centers. ?? In January, wildfires forced several LA-area ASCs to close, including Risser Surgery Center and Huntington ASC. Despite financial losses and staff challenges, both prioritized patient care, highlighting the importance of ASC emergency preparedness and resilience. [Source: ASC Focus] ?? Advancements in orthopedic surgery—robotics, AI, and smart implants—are improving precision, recovery times, and safety. With the highest net revenue per case, ortho remains a strong, rapidly growing ASC specialty. [Source: AORN] ?? The ASC industry saw major growth in 2024, driven by acquisitions, joint ventures, and new developments. Top ASC management groups expanded aggressively, solidifying their market positions and fueling continued consolidation, private equity interest, and specialty growth in 2025. [Source: Becker's Healthcare] ?? Dr. Beth Quatrara, a longtime mentor at UVA School of Nursing, is recognized as Nurse of the Week for her dedication to students, advocacy for military nurses, and bringing comfort through service dog training. Congrats, Dr. Quatrara! [Source: Daily Nurse] Check out the full stories on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube! #HealthcareNews #ThisWeekinSurgeryCenters #TWISC?

On the most recent podcast episode of "Advancing Surgical Care," HST's CEO, David Thawley, sat down with ASCA's CEO, William Prentice, to discuss key highlights from our State of the Industry Report. Together they covered specializations on the rise, operating room efficiencies, revenue cycle management and a host of other best practices. Thank you,?Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA), for having us on! Find the link in the comments to give it a listen ???

Opening a new ASC? ?? This week, Ryan Short of Cotton Architecture + Design, llc, breaks down the step-by-step process of designing a surgery center—covering site selection, space planning, regulatory approvals, and common pitfalls to avoid. Five takeaways from the episode: ? Site selection is critical—look for "pad-ready" sites with utilities in place. ? Doctors need support thinking beyond ORs—questionnaires help uncover overlooked needs. ? Permitting & approvals take time—ground-up builds can require 8+ months for approvals. ? Supply chain issues persist—major delays can impact timelines, so plan accordingly. ? Early contractor involvement helps—changing drawings is easy, but fixing construction mistakes isn't. While designing a new surgery center is a huge undertaking, with the right partner(s) in place, it can be done seamlessly and within your expected budget! Find "This Week in Surgery Centers" on your favorite podcast platform or YouTube!

Big things are coming to the podcast this March! ??? ?? On March 11th, Ryan Short walks us through a step-by-step design guide for opening a new surgery center—covering everything from initial planning to the finishing touches. ?? Then, on March 18th, Colin Park, CPA, ABV, ASA, joins us for an inside look at VMG Health's latest report, ASC Leader Expectations in 2025—breaking down financial challenges, M&A trends, and more. After these two info-packed episodes, we’re shifting gears to a three-part series focused on staffing solutions, tackling strategies for building a strong, sustainable team. Make sure to subscribe to "This Week in Surgery Centers" on your favorite podcast platform or on YouTube so you don't miss an episode!

With recent additions of cardiology procedures to the ASC Covered Procedures List and high reimbursements from payers (up to $7,500 per case for some procedures), cardiology is experiencing significant growth. ?? For those interested in learning more or conducting an initial assessment, we put together a bunch of resources to get you started: ?? Key Considerations Before Adding Procedures ?? Maximizing Revenue ?? Dispelling Safety Myths ?? Opening a Cardiovascular Center ?? Trends: Key Insights from 2023 to 2024 Click the link in the comments to get access!

?? Orthopedics continues to generate the highest net revenue per case in surgery centers. Not only did it continue its reign at the most profitable specialty, but it also increased YoY from: · 2023: $6,141 per case · 2024: $6,419 per case (4.5% jump) ?? Ortho is in a sweet spot right now—consumer demand keeps rising as the population ages, and outpatient procedures become the preferred patient choice over inpatient. At the same time, reimbursement is following suit, with payers adjusting rates and policies to favor ASCs. It's rare to see both demand and reimbursement increase together, making this an excellent opportunity. Leading ASCs are leaning in, using data and outcomes to: · Negotiate better payer contracts · Track and control implant costs · Focus on profitable cases To see "Net Revenue Per Case" for 11 other specialties, check out HST's State of the Industry Report.?

At Cascade Outpatient Spine Center, what should have been a 3–4 hour chart audit from a surprise CMS surveyor was completed in just 37 minutes. The surveyor was so impressed with the efficiency and accuracy they called it the "best charting system they had ever seen in the state." HST's electronic charting solution provided: ? Instant access to all necessary data – from on-time starts to consent signatures, every data point was available. ? Well-structured charts, reducing surveyor scrutiny. ? A smooth, stress-free audit process. Click the link in the first comment to hear Hannah's full story and experience! Spoiler: they also reduced outstanding patient balances, enhanced inventory management, and improved documentation accuracy and compliance.

In this episode of This Week in Surgery Centers, Kathy Wilson, Executive Director of the ASC Quality Collaboration (ASCQC), walks us through her 10-step process for conducting an effective QAPI study. Using a real-world example from a GI center, she shares how her team tackled case cancellations—ultimately reducing same-day cancellations to 6.8%.?Their goal was to get under 10%. Here is Kathy's 10-Step QAPI Process: 1?? Define the Purpose – Why does this issue matter? 2?? Set a Performance Goal – Internal or external benchmarks help guide success. 3?? Plan Data Collection – Identify what you need to track. 4?? Collect the Data – Use reports, spreadsheets, or software to track key details. 5?? Analyze the Data – Identify trends and root causes. 6?? Compare to Goal – Did you hit the target? 7?? Implement Corrective Actions – Revise patient instructions, engage physicians, implement tech solutions, etc. 8?? Remeasure the Data – Track post-intervention results. 9?? Adjust if Needed – Implement further corrective actions if goals aren’t met. ?? Communicate Findings – Share results with staff, leadership, and surveyors. For a more detailed walkthrough, listen to the episode in full on your favorite podcast platform or on YouTube.?

The cardiology trends in surgery centers between 2023 and 2024 reveal a few key shifts. Cardiology procedures experienced a 28% YoY decrease in OR duration and an 8% YoY decrease in net revenue per case. While the lower net revenue per case isn't ideal, efficiency gains in the OR resulted in a 27% increase in revenue per OR minute, which is a huge win. Here’s what those numbers looked like: ?? 2023 Revenue Per OR Minute: $104 ?? 2024 Revenue Per OR Minute: $132 When it comes to the OR duration, the decrease hopefully points to surgeons and staff moving more efficiently, technological advances, and maybe even faster, less invasive CV procedures. However, the decrease in lower net revenue per case is a bummer and could point to issues with payers or contracts. If you perform cardio cases or have recently started to, take a close look at those contracts and engage in data-driven renegotiations where possible.??

Between 2023 and 2024, surgery centers experienced a significant shift in payment patterns. ?? Partial payments increased from 41% to 56% ??Total payments decreased from 26% to 17% These numbers combine payments from both payers and patients.? ? What does it mean? High-deductible health plans mean patients owe more upfront, but many can't pay in full, leading to more partial payments and payment plans. While this helps improve the odds of full payment over time, it also extends the revenue cycle. For ASCs, pre-DOS collections are more critical than ever, with some centers requiring full payment before surgery. On the payer side, lower reimbursements and underpayments make it essential to scrutinize every claim. Is your ASC tracking what it's owed?