2021 promises to be a challenging year for ASCs. In what will (hopefully) be a booming post-pandemic market, how can ASCs rise to meet the elective surgery demand that has sat on the sideline for the better part of a year, and which ASCs will benefit?
CMS approved several provisions in 2020, including a fee schedule increase, device pass-through payments, and increased covered procedures. But ASCs were largely hamstrung from enjoying the benefits of these provisions due to COVID-19 fears and a significant downturn in the elective surgery market.
The ASCs that come out swinging in 2021 are going to be the ones who capitalize on the post-pandemic rush.
Challenge #1: physician recruiting
This is an ongoing challenge for ASCs, but has become more magnified as we look to 2021 and beyond. Hospital systems are luring independent physicians with larger salaries, access to support staff and equipment, and typically more desirable locations. ASCs offer autonomy and in some cases even equity, but other factors often preclude these physicians (and their headhunters) from taking a serious look at suburban and rural area ASCs.
Challenge #2: consolidation/expansion
ASCs are a prime target for consolidation as hospital systems seek to grow and retain more surgical revenue. They have the resources and staff to scoop up one or more nearby surgical centers, rename them as outpatient treatment facilities, and shuttle procedures to their immediate suburbs with their newly-hired physician specialists. In addition to hospital system expansion, private equity firms have continued their growth plans by offering independent ASCs lucrative payments to create mini-systems in certain geographies.
Some ASCs want to remain private and serve their local community, while others would welcome a buyout. In either case, this requires raising the visibility of the ASC, and meeting certain value benchmarks.
Challenge #3: marketing
This has long been a challenge for ASCs, as many centers either don’t know what’s involved with marketing, or have been forced to reduce expenses during 2020.
The simple answer is that marketing can be the singular conduit to meeting all the challenges facing ASCs in 2021. Physicians are more likely to notice (and want to be involved with) an ASC that’s visible in the marketplace, and has patients and prospects talking about what positive experiences they’ve had there. And if the ASC is doing it right, they’re also marketing to nearby hospital systems to partner with them on certain procedures.
Intelligent marketing can also lead to raising the perceptual value of the ASC, which can help the center command a higher asking price from either a hospital system or private investment group. But how/where to get started? And how much should be invested? And for how long? All of these are big questions that should be evaluated carefully by the independent ASC owner(s).
The first step is to have a discussion with a marketing group that understands the ASC market, has experience with marketing ASCs, and can help you arrive at a plan designed to meet your objectives, whatever they are.
For a free, no-obligation discussion regarding marketing for your ASC, contact moddern marketing. We’ll spend some time researching your ASC, talking with you about your intermediate and long-term goals, and help you develop a plan to reach those goals in a reasonable time frame. (It’s usually six months to a year or more.) We’re not kidding – even if you don’t hire us to do your marketing, we’re wiling to have these conversations with you and provide some actionable advice for marketing your ASC towards a profitable 2021.
For more information on how to get this conversation started, please email mark@moddern.com
THREE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACING ASCS IN 2021 AND HOW MARKETING CAN HELP YOU CAPITALIZE
2021 promises to be a challenging year for ASCs. In what will (hopefully) be a booming post-pandemic market, how can ASCs rise to meet the elective surgery demand that has sat on the sideline for the better part of a year, and which ASCs will benefit?
CMS approved several provisions in 2020, including a fee schedule increase, device pass-through payments, and increased covered procedures. But ASCs were largely hamstrung from enjoying the benefits of these provisions due to COVID-19 fears and a significant downturn in the elective surgery market.
The ASCs that come out swinging in 2021 are going to be the ones who capitalize on the post-pandemic rush.
Challenge #1: physician recruiting
This is an ongoing challenge for ASCs, but has become more magnified as we look to 2021 and beyond. Hospital systems are luring independent physicians with larger salaries, access to support staff and equipment, and typically more desirable locations. ASCs offer autonomy and in some cases even equity, but other factors often preclude these physicians (and their headhunters) from taking a serious look at suburban and rural area ASCs.
Challenge #2: consolidation/expansion
ASCs are a prime target for consolidation as hospital systems seek to grow and retain more surgical revenue. They have the resources and staff to scoop up one or more nearby surgical centers, rename them as outpatient treatment facilities, and shuttle procedures to their immediate suburbs with their newly-hired physician specialists. In addition to hospital system expansion, private equity firms have continued their growth plans by offering independent ASCs lucrative payments to create mini-systems in certain geographies.
Some ASCs want to remain private and serve their local community, while others would welcome a buyout. In either case, this requires raising the visibility of the ASC, and meeting certain value benchmarks.
Challenge #3: marketing
This has long been a challenge for ASCs, as many centers either don’t know what’s involved with marketing, or have been forced to reduce expenses during 2020.
The simple answer is that marketing can be the singular conduit to meeting all the challenges facing ASCs in 2021. Physicians are more likely to notice (and want to be involved with) an ASC that’s visible in the marketplace, and has patients and prospects talking about what positive experiences they’ve had there. And if the ASC is doing it right, they’re also marketing to nearby hospital systems to partner with them on certain procedures.
Intelligent marketing can also lead to raising the perceptual value of the ASC, which can help the center command a higher asking price from either a hospital system or private investment group. But how/where to get started? And how much should be invested? And for how long? All of these are big questions that should be evaluated carefully by the independent ASC owner(s).
The first step is to have a discussion with a marketing group that understands the ASC market, has experience with marketing ASCs, and can help you arrive at a plan designed to meet your objectives, whatever they are.
For a free, no-obligation discussion regarding marketing for your ASC, contact moddern marketing. We’ll spend some time researching your ASC, talking with you about your intermediate and long-term goals, and help you develop a plan to reach those goals in a reasonable time frame. (It’s usually six months to a year or more.) We’re not kidding – even if you don’t hire us to do your marketing, we’re wiling to have these conversations with you and provide some actionable advice for marketing your ASC towards a profitable 2021.
For more information on how to get this conversation started, please email mark@moddern.com
THREE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACING ASCS IN 2021
AND HOW MARKETING CAN HELP YOU CAPITALIZE?
2021 promises to be a challenging year for ASCs. In what will (hopefully) be a booming post-pandemic market, how can ASCs rise to meet the elective surgery demand that has sat on the sideline for the better part of a year, and which ASCs will benefit?
CMS approved several provisions in 2020, including a fee schedule increase, device pass-through payments, and increased covered procedures. But ASCs were largely hamstrung from enjoying the benefits of these provisions due to COVID-19 fears and a significant downturn in the elective surgery market.
The ASCs that come out swinging in 2021 are going to be the ones who capitalize on the post-pandemic rush.
Challenge #1: physician recruiting
This is an ongoing challenge for ASCs, but has become more magnified as we look to 2021 and beyond. Hospital systems are luring independent physicians with larger salaries, access to support staff and equipment, and typically more desirable locations. ASCs offer autonomy and in some cases even equity, but other factors often preclude these physicians (and their headhunters) from taking a serious look at suburban and rural area ASCs.
Challenge #2: consolidation/expansion
ASCs are a prime target for consolidation as hospital systems seek to grow and retain more surgical revenue. They have the resources and staff to scoop up one or more nearby surgical centers, rename them as outpatient treatment facilities, and shuttle procedures to their immediate suburbs with their newly-hired physician specialists. In addition to hospital system expansion, private equity firms have continued their growth plans by offering independent ASCs lucrative payments to create mini-systems in certain geographies.
Some ASCs want to remain private and serve their local community, while others would welcome a buyout. In either case, this requires raising the visibility of the ASC, and meeting certain value benchmarks.
Challenge #3: marketing
This has long been a challenge for ASCs, as many centers either don’t know what’s involved with marketing, or have been forced to reduce expenses during 2020.
The simple answer is that marketing can be the singular conduit to meeting all the challenges facing ASCs in 2021. Physicians are more likely to notice (and want to be involved with) an ASC that’s visible in the marketplace, and has patients and prospects talking about what positive experiences they’ve had there. And if the ASC is doing it right, they’re also marketing to nearby hospital systems to partner with them on certain procedures.
Intelligent marketing can also lead to raising the perceptual value of the ASC, which can help the center command a higher asking price from either a hospital system or private investment group. But how/where to get started? And how much should be invested? And for how long? All of these are big questions that should be evaluated carefully by the independent ASC owner(s).
The first step is to have a discussion with a marketing group that understands the ASC market, has experience with marketing ASCs, and can help you arrive at a plan designed to meet your objectives, whatever they are.
For a free, no-obligation discussion regarding marketing for your ASC, contact moddern marketing. We’ll spend some time researching your ASC, talking with you about your intermediate and long-term goals, and help you develop a plan to reach those goals in a reasonable time frame. (It’s usually six months to a year or more.) We’re not kidding – even if you don’t hire us to do your marketing, we’re wiling to have these conversations with you and provide some actionable advice for marketing your ASC towards a profitable 2021.
For more information on how to get this conversation started, please email mark@moddern.com
