Digital Debut
From left: Paul Krull, director of operations; Representative Andrea Salinas (D-OR); Jeffrey Duman, MD; and Amy Rich, assistant manager, during the congresswoman’s January tour of The Oregon Clinic in Newberg, Oregon.
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From left: Paul Krull, director of operations; Representative Andrea Salinas (D-OR); Jeffrey Duman, MD; and Amy Rich, assistant manager, during the congresswoman’s January tour of The Oregon Clinic in Newberg, Oregon.
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ASCA Member Kicks Off 2025 Facility Tour Program
The Oregon Clinic hosts Representative Andrea Salinas
INTERVIEWED BY MAIA KUNKEL | FEBRUARY 21, 2025
ASCA’s facility tour program began in January with Representative Andrea Salinas (D-OR) visiting The Oregon Clinic Gastroenterology South in Newberg, Oregon. During the tour, ASC staff described the surgery center model to the congresswoman and discussed the role of ASCs in the healthcare continuum. Below is an excerpt from an interview with Paul Krull, director of operations for The Oregon Clinic.
Q: What topics did you discuss during your facility tour?
Paul Krull (PK): During the tour, I spoke with Representative Salinas on multiple topics. Primarily, I focused on explaining the copay cap penalty, the current state of Medicare reimbursement and the need for stabilization and improvement, and the importance of continuing virtual visit access for Medicare patients in the district.
Q: How important is it to advocate for ASCs with lawmakers?
PK: This work is important as our elected officials might not understand the role an ASC plays in the healthcare continuum and how it has as high- or higher-quality outcomes with lower risks for patients than other settings at a lower cost to the patient, payers and government payers.
Q: Do you have any takeaways from your facility tour?
PK: It is important to have two or three items that are most important to you to discuss with the lawmaker. Have your elevator speech ready with data and be prepared for questions. Respect the visitor’s time and schedule because they usually have many appointments each day back in their district. Lastly, the facility tour is really simple with ASCA’s support and help.
Q: Would you recommend that other ASCs participate in ASCA’s facility tour program?
PK: Absolutely. It is one of the ways we can affect change to help our current patients and our communities, and ensure that ASCs are supported and known about as an easy, straightforward location of care.
Hosting facility tours and meetings with your lawmakers, whether in person or virtual, provide opportunities to directly connect with and educate elected officials about ASCs and their impact on their respective communities. ASCA has developed its facility tour program to ensure that conducting a tour is an easy and intuitive process for its members. ASCA members interested in hosting a facility tour for their members of Congress can complete the Facility Tour Interest Form or visit ASCA’s facility tour webpage for more information.
Write Maia Kunkel, ASCA’s Government Affairs manager, at mkunkel@ascassociation.org with questions.