The Benefits of In-House Anesthesia Management

Almost all hospitals today work with external groups of primary care physicians, general surgeons, specialists and other providers. There’s one specialty that’s often advantageous to keep in-house, though. In-house anesthesia management can yield financial and staffing benefits, and it’s entirely doable with the CCI Anesthesia Management Advantage Program (MAP).

In-House vs. Outsourced Anesthesia Services

When hospitals keep anesthesia services in-house, they retain control over staffing, scheduling and all financial aspects of anesthesia services. Anesthesiologists working as employees usually provide all anesthesia services for patients.

Outsourcing anesthesia delegates these tasks to an external group. While there’s certainly collaboration when scheduling services, staffing and billing are the external group’s domain. A hospital may not even know which anesthesiologist will be providing services for a particular patient, and the hospital also likely won’t know exactly how much the anesthesiologist group is billing for their services.

Why In-House Management?

Although outsourcing various operations can be helpful in certain situations, that’s essentially not the case with anesthesia services.

When hospitals outsource anesthesia, several challenges can ensue:

  • The hospital’s and external group’s goals might be misaligned
  • The hospital retains limited control over staffing and scheduling
  • There’s a general lack of transparency in all financial matters

In contrast, retaining anesthesia in-house provides both financial benefits and staffing benefits.

Financial Benefits of In-House Anesthesia

In-house anesthesia provides transparency of billable and operating expenses related to patients’ anesthesia services.

This is evidenced in the form of:

  • Cost Savings: In-house management eliminates the need for external management fees, typically a revenue percentage. The result can be substantial cost savings that might be reinvested in the anesthesia department or other hospital areas.
  • Revenue Control: Direct control over anesthesia billing and collections allows hospitals to optimize revenue cycles and improve financial planning.
  • Budget Optimization: Better budget oversight allows hospital leaders to effectively align anesthesia billing and expenses with hospital goals and priorities.

At CCI Anesthesia, our Management Advantage Program (MAP) helps you keep anesthesia care in-house.

Control Over Staffing and Quality

Similar benefits are true for staffing. Improving staffing generally helps improve the quality of care.

More specifically, in-house anesthesia management can give hospitals the following:

  • Staffing Flexibility: In-house management empowers hospitals to develop staffing models tailored to their needs, including specialized skills, experience levels and scheduling preferences.
  • Quality of Care: Direct oversight of anesthesia services allows hospitals to set and maintain high standards for patient care, leading to improved patient outcomes and satisfaction.
  • Accountability and Performance: Continuously monitoring performance in real-time lets hospitals swiftly identify and address opportunities for growth. These metrics can be customized to align with hospital goals and priorities.

Union Hospital in Terre Haute, Indiana, is one hospital that’s seen significant improvements in these areas. Since transitioning to in-house anesthesia, the facility boasts an 85% anesthesia provider retention rate, has welcomed three new chief anesthesiologists, and has improved operational efficiency.

Take the Next Step with CCI Anesthesia

If your hospital isn’t currently using in-house anesthesia management, we’d love to discuss how we can help streamline your anesthesia department while retaining an in-house staff. To learn more about what could change if you bring anesthesia services in-house, learn more about in-house management with CCI Anesthesia.

CCI Anesthesia’s innovative MAP model offers a comprehensive approach to in-house anesthesia management, empowering hospitals with the tools and resources necessary to optimize anesthesia services. We’re confident that our model is a feasible and likely desirable solution for your hospital. Contact us today to learn more.