Opening a New Surgery Center
Timeline to Opening a New Surgery Center
Each situation is unique, but here’s a typical timeline from initial discussion to opening day, based on our experience with thousands of ASCs. Since states have different regulatory and certification requirements, it’s advisable to consult a local expert for guidance. In this timeline, “opening day” is when you’re eligible to start your first of ten cases for accreditation.
- Physician Recruitment & Commitment
- Research Your Market & Medicare Rates
- Financial Projections/Pro Forma
- Legal & Governance Structure
- Market Demand
- Certificate of Need
- Hire ASC Consultants
- Real Estate Structure (Lease vs. Buy)
- Assessment & Planning
- Interview ASC Architects
- Construction Bids
- Inspection & Permits
- Understand State Licensing Rules
- Choose Accreditation Body and Submit Application
- Submit CMS-855B Application
- Medical Staff Credentialing & Privileging
- Life Safety: Fire Safety, Emergency Preparedness, NFPA Code Compliance, etc.
- Prepare Documents (Medicare Rates, Other Local ASC Rates, etc.)
- Identify ASC-Specific Negotiators Per Payor
- Begin Negotiations for Rates & Terms
- Understand Pros/Cons of In-Network/OON
- Software Selection (clinical operations, scheduling)
- Quality Reporting
- Initial Clinical Hires
- Staff Recruitment (RNs, LPNs, Techs)
- Identify Anesthesia Partners
- Certificate of Occupancy
- Software Selection (financial management, patient estimates & payments, data & analytics)
- Determine Revenue Cycle Process (outsource, keep in-house, software)
- Capital Equipment
- Vendor Contracts
- Purchasing Supplies, Medical Equipment, Office Equipment
- Hire Business Office Staff
- Receive Closeout Documents from General Contractor
- Finalize Policies & Procedure
- Final Compliance Review
- Current Staff Training + Hire Final Staff Members
- Verify Billing Processes
- Emergency Protocol
- Complete 10 Cases for Accreditation
- Schedule Surveyor to Observe Surgery
- Obtain Medicare ID #
- All Payer Contracts Live
- Local Marketing
- Community Education
- Host an Open House
- Schedule Media Coverage
- Physician Recruitment
- QAPI
- MEC
- Benchmarking
- Patient/Physician Satisfaction
- New Technology
PODCAST
Take the guesswork out of getting started
Ep. 40: Wil Schlaff
Opening an ASC: Conducting a Comprehensive Feasibility Assessment
Nick Latz
Ep. 41: Michael McClain
Opening an ASC: Navigating Payer Contracts
Nick Latz
Ep. 43: Beata Canby
Opening an ASC: Managing the Regulatory and Certification Process
Erica Palmer
Ep. 44: Gregory DeConciliis
Opening an ASC: Clinical Preparation
Nick Latz
Ep. 45: Andy Berg
Opening an ASC: Finding Your Dream Team
Nick Latz
Ep. 46: Wil Schlaff
Opening an ASC: Business Preparation
Nick Latz
Ep. 47: James McClung
Opening an ASC: 30 Days From Your First Patient
Erica Palmer
Ep. 48: Gregory DeConciliis
Opening an ASC: Continuous Improvement
Erica Palmer
Ep. 65: Scott Bacon
Successfully Converting HOPDs to ASCs
Nick Latz
Ep. 67: Monica Daniel
Choosing the Best Option: Opening an ASC, OBL, or Hybrid-Facility
Erica Palmer
Ep. 40: Wil Schlaff
Opening an ASC: Conducting a Comprehensive Feasibility Assessment
Nick Latz
Ep. 41: Michael McClain
Opening an ASC: Navigating Payer Contracts
Nick Latz
Ep. 43: Beata Canby
Opening an ASC: Managing the Regulatory and Certification Process
Erica Palmer
Ep. 44: Gregory DeConciliis
Opening an ASC: Clinical Preparation
Nick Latz
Ep. 45: Andy Berg
Choosing the Best Option: Opening an ASC, OBL, or Hybrid-Facility
Nick Latz
Ep. 46: Wil Schlaff
Opening an ASC: Business Preparation
Nick Latz
Ep. 47: James McClung
Opening an ASC: 30 Days From Your First Patient
Erica Palmer
Ep. 48: Gregory DeConciliis
Opening an ASC: Continuous Improvement
Erica Palmer
Ep. 65: Scott Bacon
Successfully Converting HOPDs to ASCs
Nick Latz
Ep. 67: Monica Daniel
Choosing the Best Option: Opening an ASC, OBL, or Hybrid-Facility
Erica Palmer
WEBINAR
Ask the Expert: Best Practices for Opening a New Surgery Center
Dawn Pfeiffer is the Director of Integration at Regent Surgical Health and a tenured ASC consultant. She has had a hand in opening many successful surgery centers, so we spent an hour with her covering as many best practices as we could and exploring effective strategies for a smooth process and successful opening. Together, we addressed common challenges, shared proven solutions to avoid missteps, and answered questions on the fly from those who attended live.
