49
EW FEATURE
December 2017 • Preparing for changes in ophthalmology
operate in the center. "As the vol-
ume of cases grows, the possibility
of buying shares in the ASC can be
discussed," Dr. Chu said. EW
Tip 3: Select an architect and a
contractor with surgical center
experience
Mr. Nelson said that he can't em-
phasize this enough. Your archi-
tect should have a solid history of
working with surgery centers, and
your general contractor should have
hospital and/or surgery center expe-
rience. There should be no excep-
tions as the construction standards
are very stringent.
Tip 4: Brainstorm ways you can
cut costs
In the pre-construction phase, one
thing Mr. Nelson wished he knew
was that some group purchasing
organizations can save money not
only on equipment costs but also
on construction supplies. That
could lead to a savings of 30–40%
on items like drywall, studs, paint,
and even elevators. "The additional
savings could have been significant,"
he said. "We only wished we had
engaged early on. We saved some on
drywall, paint, carpets, and ceiling
tiles, but didn't fully benefit from
the potential savings."
Once you're in your ASC and
thinking about equipment and
technology costs, Dr. Black said you
may want to consider roll-on/roll-
off lasers versus purchasing a laser.
For example, if you're in a rural area
where you don't have the volume
for daily surgery, a roll-on/roll-off
laser could be ideal—and the compa-
nies will even provide personnel. Dr.
Black also uses a roll-on/roll-off laser
at a satellite location.
There are also groups like the
Vision Center Network of America,
which is a clinically integrated net-
work of surgery centers in New Jer-
sey and New York that can negotiate
contracts with payers for quality and
possible bundling. Dr. Levy founded
this group.
Tip 5: Take a tour and get on the
schedule if you're not ready to
make a leap
If you're not ready to own or
become a partner in a center, take
a tour and see if it's a good fit for
you, Dr. Davis suggested. Then see
if there is a surgery time available to
Editors' note: The sources have no
financial interests related to their
comments.
Contact information
Black: drbradblack@aol.com
Chu: yrchu@chuvision.com
Davis: eyeguy@precision-eyecare.com
Levy: jhlmd@nyeye.org
Nelson: rnelson@islandeye.net
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