Member Focus

Title: Director of Operations
Facility Name: Surgical Management Professionals
City: Sioux Falls
State: South Dakota
Length of time your facility has been an ASCA member: Five or more years

What changes in the OAS CAHPS Survey would make the experience easier and more productive?

A few key improvements would make the OAS CAHPS process easier and more impactful.

• Shorten the survey and reduce redundancy. This would help increase patient participation and yield more complete data.
• Enable real-time or near real-time feedback options. Faster results would allow centers to take action sooner and close improvement loops more effectively.
• Offer flexible delivery methods. Broader digital and mobile-friendly formats would better match how patients communicate today.
• Improve clarity around scoring and benchmarks. More actionable insights and clearer comparisons would help leaders translate results into targeted quality initiatives.

Overall, simplifying the survey and modernizing the feedback process would help drive stronger engagement and more meaningful improvements in patient experience.

What strategies are you using to manage the anesthesia shortage?

We are taking a multipronged approach to mitigate anesthesia staffing challenges.

• Optimizing case scheduling by smoothing daily caseloads and tightening block utilization.
• Enhancing care team models by leveraging CRNAs effectively under anesthesiologist supervision to maintain safe, efficient coverage.
• Focusing on culture and collaboration through strong relationships between anesthesia providers and the surgical team to maintain satisfaction and efficiency.

These strategies help ensure we maintain safe, reliable coverage while sustaining quality and throughput for our physicians and patients.