The second feature in our Women in Healthcare series goes to Lauren Illescas, COO at Mnet Health. Learn more about Lauren and how women are uniquely positioned in the healthcare industry and assist with driving operations efficiently.

Even the best Ambulatory Surgery Centers face moments of adversity. Some of these may be adverse patient events, negative publicity, or a serious illness or loss by a staff member that impacts the team. While some adverse events aren’t under anyone’s control, others may need to be handled appropriately by management to minimize the ripple effect of negative outcomes. When adverse events occur, your ASC's recovery will hinge on several factors, including the resiliency of your employees and how your facility handles these events internally.

The patients at your ASC are your most valuable asset. Without individuals turning to your Ambulatory Surgery Center for procedures, you'd be out of business. When patients use your facility, it's vital to foster loyalty and thank them for using your ASC. At this time of year, when everyone is more rushed, it’s particularly important to show your patients how thankful you are for them. 

The end of the year is approaching, when many patients have fully paid their insurance deductibles. They often use this time to fit in any covered medical treatments and surgeries before the end of the year. It's natural to want to have a surgical procedure done in the last few months of the year when it is entirely covered by insurance, but it can overwhelm your ASC with patients trying to schedule at the last minute. Your staff will be fielding many phone calls, trying to maximize scheduling without impacting patient care, and coping with additional billing and insurance issues. Make sure your Ambulatory Surgery Center is prepared for the onslaught.

In July 2021, One Medical Passport announced the second round of the ASC Everyday Heroes Program. The program was created in 2020 to not only give back to the ASC community, but to recognize, honor, and reward the remarkable outpatient surgery professionals who have gone above and beyond their role and touched the lives of so many.

Since the 1900s, growth in healthcare has been driven by women, who make up 80% of the overall growth in health services. Since 2000, the number of people in full-time healthcare positions has increased from five million to nine million (U.S. Census Bureau). Three-quarters of those workers are women. To put it frankly, your health is in women’s hands.

The financial success of any Ambulatory Surgery Center depends first and foremost on providing excellent healthcare at a reasonable price, but that's an oversimplification. Some ASCs maintain a healthy profit margin while others continually struggle to maintain a solid financial status despite offering similar services with similar results. Often, the difference falls with how things are handled outside the realm of care itself. It's more about how payments are addressed, the status of their managed care contracts, or how well they market themselves to patients. 

Creating a positive work culture is imperative in Ambulatory Surgery Centers. ASC employees are under constant stress because of the fast-paced environment and need to provide top-quality care at all times. The stakes are high, and there is always a risk that negativity can creep into your ASC's culture. Providing a positive culture for your staff will create a work environment where negativity has no place, resulting in better service, higher employee retention, and greater employee satisfaction.