Member Focus

Title: Executive Director
Facility Name: High Pointe Surgery Center
City: Lake Elmo
State: Minnesota
Length of time your facility has been an ASCA member: Five or more years

What changes in the OAS CAHPS Survey would make the experience easier and more productive?

I believe that the biggest challenge we face with the OAS CAHPS Survey is that it is not tailored well for the ASC setting. The length of the survey is a significant issue in getting patients to complete their surveys. I have heard this complaint from several patients regarding the survey; it is burdensome and long and so they just don't complete it.

It would be amazing if this survey could offer questions that would then allow operational teams to make process changes as needed to enhance survey results.

What strategies are you using to manage the anesthesia shortage?

In 2025, we made a significant change to our anesthesia model. For years, we had been partnered with an MDA/CRNA model for anesthesia care, but we made a decision to dissolve this contract at the end of 2024 and sign a contract with a CRNA-only group. This change has been extremely positive for our organization. We have found that patients are much happier with the care that they are getting from anesthesia. The CRNAs are fully engaged with our staff and leadership team. We have two lead CRNAs who are the go-to for questions or issues that might come up. We have found this to be very effective and resolution happens very quickly. We have monthly meetings that our anesthesia providers are engaged in to discuss any pending issues or positive impacts that we have seen. They are also engaged in our P&T meetings, infection control meetings, etc. We have also found a significant shift in canceled cases with the current group, with less cases being cancelled. We are extremely happy with the environment that we have created with this new group.