Maintaining strong relationships is crucial to the success and growth of any business.

And in the case of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), nurturing relationships with referring physicians is paramount to ensuring a steady flow of patients while increasing referrals.

The ASC market is rapidly growing, with the global market reaching $96.5 billion in 2023 and projected to increase to $150.6 billion by 2033, according to some estimates. The appeal of ASCs lies in maximizing efficiency, eliminating unnecessary services and reducing treatment costs. Standard outpatient procedures cost approximately 60% less at ASCs than hospital outpatient departments, making them an attractive option for private payers, Medicare, Medicaid and patients paying out of pocket.

Yet physician referrals are the key to driving patient volume at ASCs, and effective communication is essential to establishing a robust referral network. In fact, about 95% of surveyed physicians rate quality of communication as the most critical factor in referring to an ASC, according to Sullivan Healthcare Consulting.

While digital communication is prevalent, direct contact still matters. This includes calling to inform physicians of outcomes as well as providing recommendations for follow-up care to both the patient and the referring physician.

To establish and maintain strong relationships with referring physicians, ASC operators should consider setting up dedicated communications via a physician liaison. This ensures that referring physicians are prioritized, with their calls and emails responded to rapidly.

Additionally, ASC decision-makers should also always keep referring physicians up-to-date on their facility, its specialties and other features, such as equipment upgrades, new technology or acquisitions.

A tactic that more ASCs should consider: hosting an open house to provide a facility tour. The goal is to build rapport and inspire confidence in the ASC, so physicians can promote an integrated care model.

“Physicians will want to know that there is adequate volume to build and support their practice, so having a needs assessment or a way to demonstrate what that looks like will be important to make available,” Liz Mahan, director of professional development and solutions for the Association for Advancing Physician and Provider Recruitment, told ASC News.

The Association for Advancing Physician and Provider Recruitment is a professional organization for health care recruitment executives and other stakeholders.

The value of regular assessments

ASC operators should assess referrals regularly to understand who their most valuable sources are.

If a significant patient volume comes from one source, they should ensure their team gives that source appropriate attention, steadily working to improve the relationship via regular communication and check-ins.

Asking for feedback can benefit an ASC by uncovering how much referrers know about the organization’s services. It also shows that leaders value their opinions and want to establish a continuum of care, sources told ASC News.

Ensuring that health care providers who are new to the organization understand the referral process and what it takes to become credentialed to use ASC services is also critical. ASCs that provide physicians with this information can help grow their ASCs more easily, Amy Fox, administrator of Quad City Ambulatory Surgery Center told ASC News.

“Let them know the approved procedure list of what surgeries can be done at the ASC and what insurance plans are accepted,” Fox said.

Based in Rock Island, Illinois, Quad City Ambulatory Surgery Center is a multi-specialty surgery facility partially owned by a group of physicians who practice at Orthopedic and Rheumatology Associates and Trinity Medical Center.

What’s more, ASC operators should build strong relationships with schedulers in physicians’ practices because they often determine where the surgery will occur. To do so, ASCs can invite schedulers to the ASC, connecting with that scheduler in person.

After establishing that connection, ASCs should make scheduling easy and manage the schedule aggressively. This means scheduling regular updates on when surgeons will not use their block times. When times become available, ASCs should contact other surgeons’ schedulers at least a month in advance to provide time to arrange appointments.

But to keep moving, ASC operators should find alternate surgeons to fill open time.

Don’t forget about the Stark Law

Ensuring compliance with the Stark Law when receiving a physician referral is also critical.

The law effectively seeks to put patients over profits by ensuring that medical decision-making and patient referrals are as free from financial incentives as possible.

While there are exceptions to the Stark Law, if a physician or one of their immediate family members has a financial relationship with a medical service provider, they cannot recommend their Medicaid or Medicare patient to that provider.

Ultimately, the best way to secure physician referrals is to keep all operational aspects of the ASC in order, according to Fox.

“Focus on quality outcomes for patients, patient satisfaction, physician satisfaction, employee satisfaction, accessibility and ease of scheduling procedures,”Fox said.

By nurturing relationships with referring physicians, maintaining excellent communication and ensuring compliance with regulations, ASCs can continue to grow and thrive in the health care industry.