5 Critical Anesthesia Related Issues Facing Hospitals

Many healthcare organizations are in the midst of reassessing their needs, restructuring their organization, and rebuilding their teams. When it comes to specialized services like anesthesia, hospitals must deal with the ebbs and flows of patient volume and new regulations. Furthermore, anesthesiologists and CRNAs are some of the most sought-after medical providers in the world, making them imperative to have available yet fraught with challenges such as inconsistent billing and staffing models. Below we take a deeper dive into five of the most significant issues facing anesthesia departments and how to overcome them. Recruitment and Retention The competition for...

Why Outsourcing Anesthesia Care Makes a Difference for Community Hospitals

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, it is predicted that there will be a shortage of anywhere between 38,000 to 124,000 physicians by 2034, with rural areas the most impacted. Rural and community hospitals have long struggled with being able to deliver quality care as they grapple with staffing shortages and closures – both hastened by the pandemic. CRNAs and anesthesiologists are vital to a population in need of surgical care in these areas. Lack of staff can lead to canceled surgeries or sending patients to other facilities, sometimes hours away. However, recruiting and retaining top talent is...

How Can Hospitals Take Control of Anesthesia Expenses?

When it comes to choosing a management provider, there are a lot of factors to consider. Is the organization transparent in its billing and procedures? How much control do they give their hospital clients in making their own decisions? Do they have systems in place that are specific to the practice of anesthesia? And do they act as a genuine partner? Solutions and Transparency It is impossible to manage finances if costs and services are a guessing game. The right partner should provide a completely transparent service model with flat management fees that cover expenses such as recruiting, scheduling,...

7 Benefits of a Proactive Anesthesia Partner

The financial pressure on health systems nationwide has never been greater, and many hospital leaders are focused upon cutting costs to increase profit margins. However, those with a longer vision recognize more impactful results arise from a dual focus on spending less and generating more revenue. As the single largest contributor to hospitals’ revenue, operating rooms significantly impact the bottom line when effectively or ineffectively utilized. Of course, this begs the question, how do you make the OR more efficient? While multiple factors impact efficiency, studies consistently highlight the importance of a well-run anesthesia program. From minimizing cancelations with pre-anesthesia...

Anesthesia: Pain Relief for Your COVID-19, OR Revenue Headaches

Each COVID-19 wave of cases, and each COVID-19 variant, has wrought tragic consequences, both clinical and financial. Healthcare organizations continue to reel from the first two waves as personnel shortages, emotional fatigue, and revenue scarcities linger. More recent Delta and Lambda variants appear poised to unleash another potent wave, despite the efforts of vaccine research and deployment. On its website, the American Hospital Association (“AHA”) shares that the estimated revenue loss from the first wave exceeds $161 billion from March to June 2020. In other words, in 120 days the first wave erased $175,000 for each of the 919,000 U.S....