Julius F. Heil’s Post

Private Equity’s Growing Role in Ambulatory Surgery Centers Private equity firms are increasingly investing in hospital-owned ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), allowing these companies to bankroll a growing sector while limiting regulatory scrutiny. Some healthcare systems view private equity as collaborators rather than competitors. By allowing a sponsor to help manage the ASC, system resources can be freed up to focus on core capabilities. Despite ongoing efforts by state and federal lawmakers to limit hospital costs through proposed bills that would eliminate facility fees, experts believe that hospitals and corporate investors will continue to invest in ASCs. Even if site-neutral pay legislation moves forward, the investment in ambulatory surgery centers is expected to persist.

Oops. Truth slips out in a Tenet Healthcare press release. Their wholly owned surgery group is 30-50% less cost than hospitals in their 485 locations. Bet that estimate forgets facility fees and more charged by Tenet that wipes out any advantage by 4-6x. Excerpt USPI's services are generally 30 percent to 50 percent more affordable than similar services delivered in a hospital setting," Dr. Sutaria said in a recent earnings call. "The linkage to our hospital business creates an unquestionably superior platform, from which to draw talent, operating expertise and scale benefits." Tenet now operates 52 acute care and specialty hospitals while USPI has interests in 461 ASCs and 24 surgical hospitals. The company expects de novo ASC acquisitions and the growth of USPI to lead to continued growth in 2024. "USPI's M&A engine, under the Tenet umbrella, continues to be an industry-leading differentiator and we maintain a robust pipeline," the company said in an April 15 filing with the SEC https://lnkd.in/gnSpiFUq

With the spinoff of Solventum from 3M, the market for negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is likely to get revitalized. NPWT falls under the advanced wound care segment that is a significant portion of Solventum’s MedSurg business accounting for 56% of total company revenue. In the past 10 years or more, Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) or wound vacs have been marketed to incisional wounds, prophylactically. Data clearly shows that in certain indications such as the orthopaedic reconstructions or open ventral hernia repairs, complications may be reduced with the use of incisional NPWT. While there is growing clinical evidence supporting the benefits of protecting the surgical site, hospitals and payors have become increasingly reluctant to this type of widespread use and adoption in certain indications have been slower. The migration of elective surgeries to ASCs is a major factor in the adoption/use of NPWT in elective cases. This migration results in the use of NPWT on patients who spend more of their recovery time at home without the presence of professional medical care. Then, the list of end users for a given NPWT device expands from inpatient care team to the patient, caregiver, clinic staff, home health, etc. as well as the expectations migrate from clinical outcomes alone towards a combination of experiences, ease-of-use, and outcomes. This is why companies with NPWT products need to carefully consider their commercial strategy when it comes to NPWT starting with their customer service and sales team support functions. Excellence in patient/caregiver support is likely to become a big part of ensuring successful use cases with NPWT devices at home. A comprehensive approach that owns the case from start to finish will ensure access to NPWT products by a wider variety of surgical patients who could truly benefit from the availability of NPWTs in their surgical care regimen. It goes without saying that this will also save healthcare costs in return. Solventum's spinoff and changing healthcare environment may provide the perfect conditions for invention and disruption in this space. I am looking forward to seeing what comes next! #npwt #medtech #solventum #activewoundcare #woundcare #patientsfirst #patientcenteredcare

With over 9,000 ASCs in the U.S. and growing, the shift to outpatient surgery is accelerating. For ASC owners, incorporating high-demand spine procedures can boost profitability, offering significant cost savings and high-quality outcomes. NANISX offers a comprehensive suite of interventional spine procedures, helping ASC owners enhance their offerings and financial performance. #ASC #OutpatientSurgery #Orthopedics #HealthcareGrowth #NANISX #SpineSurgery #InterventionalPain #KICVentures #BackPain

Creo Medical Group PLC (AIM:CREO)'s Speedboat technology is significantly reducing costs and improving patient outcomes in minimally invasive surgeries, according to recent NHS Supply Chain data. Analysing 130 Speedboat submucosal dissection (SSD) procedures at East Kent University Hospitals Foundation Trust, the report highlighted remarkable reductions in hospital stays and critical care costs compared to traditional surgical methods. Specifically, it revealed an 87% decrease in the average length of hospital stays, from 8.39 days down to just 1.07 days, and a 99% reduction in critical care costs. Accommodation costs per patient also saw a drop of 91%, from £3,400 to £300, while admission costs were cut by 62%. Over one year, overall costs per patient fell by 59%, from £8,800 to £3,600. Additionally, the costs associated with theatre procedures were reduced by 38%. More at #Proactive #ProactiveInvestors #creomedical #speedboattechnology http://ow.ly/S7ET105qBv0

There are 3️⃣ big cogs ⚙️ in the admitted UEC pathway. ⚙️🔧🔄 For most trusts, moving these ⚙️s effectively will have a huge impact on admitted flow (and can often also affect/ activate some of the smaller ⚙️s). ⚙️📋1 Operational engagement... Connecting all the UEC workflows is no easy task. It requires dynamic, real-time systems management that can adapt to variation in demand and escalation across all UEC pathways. Operational engagement exists in most trusts. ⚙️⚙️💺2 Same day emergency care (SDEC) in a variety of offerings... Medicine, frailty, surgery, etc. SDECs deliver most when entry criteria supports access (hours align with patient need, simple referral process across ICS and several care pathways), staffing models employ advanced practice, and the service remains excluded from bedding during escalation. Although SDEC exists in most trusts, most SDECs are challenged by the same challenges A&Es face: lack of staff, stuff, space and systems. ⚙️⚙️⚙️🧑🏽⚕️3 Specialty engagement (possibly the most neglected cog ⚙️)... Internal professional values tend to be widely neglected and/ or disconnected from trust values. Although most specialty teams agree on contributing to quality UEC, most disagree when care transfers, and what constitutes a reasonable response time after UEC referral. As trusts don't tradionally agree care transfer, or measure response times after UEC referral, this remains a largely invisible contributor to delay in care/ crowding. The impact of weak internal professional values extends to all the other cogs, including SDEC and operations. Given that specialty teams already agree on contributing to quality UEC, this seems a lost opportunity. 🏥/... 🚑🚑🚑🚑🚑🚑🚑

Manufacturer investment in the growing Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) market can bring about both positive and negative outcomes. Here's a breakdown of key points to consider: **Positives:** - Increased innovation and technology: Investment can drive research and development of advanced surgical equipment tailored for ASC settings, leading to minimally invasive procedures and better patient outcomes. - Enhanced efficiency and cost-effectiveness: Streamlined supply chains and cost-effective equipment packages can boost ASC operations, potentially reducing costs for patients. - Improved access to capital: Manufacturer investment can offer ASCs financial support for expansion, renovations, and acquiring new equipment to meet the rising demand for outpatient surgeries. **Negatives:** - Focus on profit over quality: Manufacturers may prioritize selling expensive equipment over patient-centered solutions or affordability for ASCs. - Consolidation and limited choice: Increased manufacturer involvement could limit equipment choices for ASCs and escalate prices due to market consolidation. - Focus on short-term gains: Manufacturers might prioritize short-term sales over building long-term partnerships with ASCs, overlooking ongoing support needs. In the end, the impact of manufacturer investment hinges on effective management. Elements to consider include transparency, regulatory oversight to safeguard patient care and competition, and protecting physician autonomy in equipment selection based on patient needs rather than manufacturer influence. By acknowledging these aspects, collaboration between ASCs and manufacturers can ensure that investments enhance patient care and healthcare system efficiency.

UnitedHealthcare is exploring the acquisition of Surgery Partners, the third-largest ambulatory surgical center (ASC) operator in the U.S. This continues payors’ quest to control the entire healthcare system. This deal would further expand United’s subsidiary Optum, which already owns SCA Health (the second-largest ASC operator) - even amidst intensifying antitrust scrutiny from the Justice Department. As this situation unfolds, it is important to bring these deals into the spotlight to curb harmful consolidation trends with payors owning providers. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gAbNbg8A

If you are a surgery or general practice looking to win substantial contracts or funding, it can be a daunting prospect, particularly if you are an already over-worked GP or Practice Manager struggling for time. Read our blog to find out what types of GP contract you can you bid for: https://lnkd.in/ets2B_2v #generalpractice #GPcontracts

If you are a surgery or general practice looking to win substantial GP contracts or funding, it can be a daunting prospect - particularly if you are an already over-worked GP or Practice Manager struggling for time. Read our blog to find out more about the types of GP contracts and funding you may be able to bid for. https://lnkd.in/ets2B_2v