Creating An Office-Based Surgery Suite Is Easy When You Have a Guide

Office-based surgery (OBS) suites are the next evolution in ophthalmic surgery and are becoming the facilities of choice for surgeons and their patients.  Moving the location of a surgical practice is a big transition for most surgeons and requires expertise. This post will be your guide to creating an office based surgery suite.

As a physician-led company, we understand that you desire more control over your surgical environment while providing the highest safety standards and patient care. Like many ophthalmologists, you might be considering the transition to office-based surgery but don’t know where to start. You need a new paradigm and a guide to show you the way. That’s where we come in.

iOR Partners is the only company dedicated to ophthalmic OBS and has over 80 iOR Suites open or in development nationwide. Our five pillar approach includes five pillars from planning and buildout to ongoing management support metric-driven and aimed to maximize overall quality and satisfaction. We take care of the heavy lifting so you can focus on what you do best: taking care of your patients. 

5 Steps to OBS Success

1. Win-Win Partnership

When you team up with an OBS partner, you should understand the financial and logistical feasibility of OBS for your practice.  We will review your surgical volume, payor mix and other variables to provide a complimentary feasibility analysis, including a financial pro forma and initial space plan. Next, iOR will seek to understand your challenges, desires and provide guidance on a successful OBS program.

2. Planning & Facility Buildout

Understanding how to organize and develop your facility in a way that supports OBS can be tedious and time-consuming. With a partner, you won’t have to figure it out alone.

iOR assists physicians in identifying and/or working directly with the architect and contractor to design and develop your OBS suite to current industry accreditation standards. This includes layout design, patient flow, finishes, equipment selection and an estimated timeline to the first day of surgery. 

These comprehensive guidelines and technical specifications fulfill all local, national and accreditation requirements.

3. Roadmap to Launch

120 days prior to the first day of surgery, iOR begins the launch process by preparing the physician and his/her practice team. This starts with virtual on-boarding and covers all aspects of office-based surgery including expectations, roles, responsibilities, protocols as well as policies and procedures.  

Specific modules include:

• Revenue cycle management 
• Supplies and inventory set up 
• Equipment/supplies selection 
• Governance structure, including Governing Body and Medical Executive Committee formation
• Accreditation standards and requirements 
• iOR’s surgical digital medical record system including physician customization   

One week prior to surgery, a four-person launch team arrives on site to unpack, set up, and physically organize the iOR Suite. Training begins for key roles: Circulator, Pre/post-operative, Sterilizer, Surgical assistant

Finally, the iOR team is on site for launch week to support and observe the practice’s first surgical cases and will return for added onsite support until the surgical staff demonstrates competency. 

4.  Ongoing Support and Oversight

Just as an ASC makes surgery turnkey by providing everything you need, so does iOR Partners. We provide accreditation, supply management, safety and quality management, billing support, and other administrative and business related functions needed for a successful OBS program.

• Clinical Operations Manager – previous practice administrator and expert in OBS for day-to-day support.
• iSupply – materials management system with real-time visibility, tracking of supplies, and automated inventory after each surgery day.
• iDMR^TM – surgical digital medical records system, customizable to each surgeon. 
• Revenue Cycle Management
  • Verification of Benefits Prior to Surgery
  • Determine best billing method to maximize reimbursement
  • Track reimbursement payments on claims submitted
  • Resolve any OBS related payor issues
  • Negotiate payor contracts when advantageous
• Accreditation & Compliance
  • Facilitate and pay for the OBS accreditation
  • Manage QAPI (Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement) & Peer review
  • Determine and track benchmarks
  • Provide outcomes reporting
  • Perform periodic audits and mock surveys
  • Facilitate Governing Body and Medical Executive Committee
  • Conduct quarterly meetings and record meetings
• OBS Performance Reporting – monthly performance metrics on surgical revenue and expenses

5.  Track, Measure, Grow

iOR has developed a proprietary business intelligence platform that helps the physician understand and maximize the key business levers of their OBS. We meet each month with our physician partners to review prior month analytics, identify early trends and set forth any necessary corrective action to meet the goals of each OBS. 

iOR provides business data in key areas of growth for the individual centers and comparisons to national benchmarks. Growth metrics include practice case volume, reimbursement, and profitability since adding OBS to their practice.

By partnering with iOR Partners, you can bring the surgical suite into your office, increase your revenue per case, and be prepared for future growth. Contact us below for help creating your office based surgery suite.

Learn more and get your FREE facility analysis at https://iorpartners.com/free-analysis