Key Considerations to Outsourcing Anesthesia
A common misperception among administrators and practice owners is that outsourcing anesthesia is simply not worth the effort or investment. From issuing an RFP, to interviewing groups, to reviewing proposals, to onboarding new anesthesia providers to finally reach the end goal of enjoying an outsourced anesthesia service can seem too burdensome. However, the right anesthesia management company will manage the transition process smoothly and prove the benefits of outsourcing anesthesia.
Only Consider Companies Specializing in Anesthesia
If you are considering outsourcing anesthesia, there are several aspects to think through carefully as you weigh your options. You need a company that specializes in anesthesia rather than treating anesthesia as an afterthought in managing other departments. It is a highly skilled science to create the right mix of anesthesiologists and CRNAs based on your facility’s unique surgical volume, acuity, case types and payor mix. The company you choose should understand how to staff your anesthesia department efficiently to avoid overpaying, over staffing and having a high turnover.
Ensure Patient Care is Prioritized
Providing the safest patient care possible should be the top priority of any anesthesia management company. You should choose an anesthesia group whose skills and experience align with your type of facility and patient population. For example, a major academic medical center would not be served well by an anesthesia management company that has only provided services for small, office-based practices. Similarly, an urban hospital in a major metropolitan area might not be the right fit for an anesthesia group more experienced in serving rural community hospitals. It is also important to ask how a company’s anesthesia providers are kept up-to-date on the latest advancements in anesthesia care and what levels of experience their providers bring to the table.
Find a Full-Service Anesthesia Practice Management Company
If you are interested in outsourcing anesthesia, make sure the company you choose is capable of taking on every aspect of management. The company you choose should be equipped to manage:
- Billing and revenue cycle management
- Practice management
- Accounting, tax and payroll
- Bookkeeping
- Compliance services
- Analysis and reporting
- Faculty negotiation
- Credentialing management
- Quality management
This is an important area to investigate about any potential anesthesia management company, as some may specialize only in practice management without also handling the financial aspect of anesthesia. Rather than farming out different elements of management to multiple companies, it is much simpler and more efficient to choose one full-service anesthesia management company.
Pursue a Hands-On Approach to Anesthesia Management
All too commonly, anesthesia groups will bid your contract, quickly begin implementing services and their corporate leaders will never be seen by you again. When you have a question, you will rarely be able to get in touch with someone who knows the answer. As you consider your options for outsourcing anesthesia services, choose an anesthesia management company who promotes a boots-on-the-ground approach to management. The leaders of your anesthesia management company should be committed to staying in routine contact with you and providing regular updates on departmental performance.
Outsourcing to CCI Anesthesia
We are extremely experienced in transitioning anesthesia departments away from outdated management strategies and into a new era of excellence. As our client, your dedicated CCI Regional Medical Officer and Regional Director of Operations will be on-site routinely to ensure a smooth transition. Our systematic, yet customizable transition process has proven itself time and time again to keep surgeons satisfied while maintaining steady revenue streams. We also strive to retain as many existing anesthesia providers as possible and communicate frequently with you and other facility leaders. With CCI Anesthesia, you are outsourcing your anesthesia department to proven experts who know how to stay on time and on budget without sacrificing quality.
Contact us today at 800.494.3948 for more information on how to outsource anesthesia services to CCI Anesthesia. Our anesthesia management experts are eager to improve performance and reduce costs in your anesthesia service line.