Calisher & associates benefits of ambulatory surgery centers (ascs)

Calisher & Associates: Benefits of Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) Calisher & Associates, Inc. has been in the business of developing and managing Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) for over 25 years. Throughout their years in business, the company has provided turnkey development services to over 200 medical facilities nationwide.

ASC’s are health care facilities that specialize in providing outpatient surgical care, with patients having surgery and returning home the same day. The first facility opened in 1970 in Phoenix, AZ. The two doctors who spearheaded the idea saw a need for services that were top quality, but allowed patients an alternative to high cost and lengthy hospital stays. Other factors including scheduling conflicts and operating room delays led the doctors to develop this new and cost effective way to provide surgeries.

The ASC Association estimates that ASCs provide a savings of over $2.3 billion annually to the Medicare Program and its patients through though the lower rates they are paid for surgical services as compared to rates hospitals are reimbursed for identical procedures. As of 2015, there are over 5400 ASCs throughout the United States.

Since surgery centers are reimbursed at a lower rate than hospitals, they have incentive to provide efficient and timely surgeries, creating a better experience for the patient overall. One of the services Calisher & Associates provides to ASCs is overall management of the facility that helps doctors to maximize their effectiveness in the operating room as administrative duties are streamlined.

As technology advances and more surgical procedures become available on an outpatient basis, ASCs have become an even more important element in the healthcare system. Both patients and doctors benefit as more options are available at ASCs—patients have the convenience and lower cost that comes with a surgery at such a facility and doctors are able to profit more with increased surgeries. Additionally, surgeons at these facilities tend to have a greater investment in the patients as they have a more direct tie to their recovery and success.

Calisher & Associates is currently run by Kevin Calisher, who has been involved in the family business for over 17 years. Calisher began his career with the company as a project manager in 1998, managing all aspects of design and construction administration. In 1992, he became Vice President of the company, with increased responsibility that included overseeing all aspects of development for ambulatory healthcare facilities and directing the regulatory approval processes. In 2006, Calisher took over all development and consulting operations as President and COO of the company.