January 2023 – The Journal of Healthcare Contracting
By Pete Mercer
As healthcare costs continue to rise throughout the country, consumers and patients are looking for lower cost options without sacrificing the quality of care that they need. Ambulatory surgery centers provide that exact type of care experience that so many people in this country are looking for, providing an alternative care route that is financially feasible and efficient.
Intermountain Healthcare recently opened a state-of-the-art ambulatory surgery center at St. George Regional Hospital in St. George, Utah. Intermountain Surgery Center – St. George will offer same-day urology and orthopedic surgeries in four specialized operating rooms, and most patients will be able to recover at home shortly after surgery.
Dr. Jordan Ash, anesthesiologist and medical director for Intermountain Surgery Center, said in a media release, “I’m excited to work in a facility that will be streamlined with the latest technology and designed for specific surgeries. This will also help lower the cost for some of our most common orthopedic surgeries.”
“The high cost of healthcare is daunting for many members of our community,” said Katie Allsop, the administrator of the Ambulatory Services Center at Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital. “The Intermountain Surgery Center St. George provides a cost-effective surgical outpatient service. Patients know the cost of their surgery up front, which will not change even though there are variabilities like surgery times, supplies used and recovery.”
This facility, like many ambulatory sites throughout the country, is designed to provide outpatient care that includes various orthopedic surgeries, neurological surgeries, urological procedures and gynecological surgeries.
Improving efficiency without sacrificing care
Part of the value that ambulatory sites provide both patients and providers is an increased sense of efficiency, without the care processes suffering. Intermountain Surgery Center is equipped with the latest technology to improve patient care and staff workflow.
Allsop said, “The surgery center improves efficiencies for Intermountain by moving appropriate healthy patients to the ASC where they can receive their surgeries and be discharged home without being delayed due to the unpredictability of the hospital OR. Additionally, it frees up operating room time in the hospital for patients who require a higher level of care due to health issues and more complex surgeries.”
By adding this ambulatory site, St. George Regional Hospital is able to provide an experience that is not interrupted by emergent add-ons for the providers. “They are partnered with ASC caregivers who know them and are able to anticipate their needs, facilitating great time management during surgery and rapid turn-over between cases,” Allsop said. “It benefits patients by providing lower costs, shorter waiting times, lower risk of infection and expert, compassionate care from nursing caregivers trained especially for the fast-paced ASC environment.”
Intermountain is adding ambulatory sites across their system. Similar facilities have been developed or are under development in Murray, Logan, Park City, Provo, Saratoga Springs and Ogden, and several more are planned.