What is an ambulatory surgery center (ASC)?
Also called: ASC, surgery center, Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Targeting
An ambulatory surgery center (ASC) is a facility that performs surgical procedures that don't need a hospital admission, so patients go home the same day. In the U.S., Medicare certifies ASCs and publishes the list of procedures it pays for in that setting.
Why it matters for healthcare sales and marketing
More procedures are moving from hospitals to ASCs, which makes surgery centers a growing market for device, implant, equipment and software vendors. They are also a different sales motion from hospitals:
- Fewer decision makers. An administrator, the physician owners and a materials manager can often decide without a large committee.
- Physician owners care about cost. Many ASCs are owned wholly or partly by the surgeons who operate there, so price and efficiency weigh heavily.
- Specialty focus. Many ASCs specialize, for example in orthopedics, GI, ophthalmology or pain management, which makes targeting by specialty effective.
How it works
- Same-day care. ASCs handle procedures where patients are expected to go home the same day.
- Medicare certification. To bill Medicare, an ASC must be certified and meet CMS conditions for coverage. Medicare publishes a covered procedures list for ASCs and has expanded it over time, including into joint replacement.
- Ownership. Models include physician-owned centers, joint ventures with hospitals or health systems, and centers owned by management companies.
- Buying. Purchasing usually runs through the administrator and materials manager with input from the physician owners. Some ASCs use a GPO or the purchasing of a partner health system.
Example
Illustrative scenario. An orthopedic implant company wants to grow in outpatient joint replacement. It builds an audience of ASCs that focus on orthopedics, then targets the administrator, the materials manager and the orthopedic surgeons who own or operate at each center. The message centers on cost per case and turnover time, which matter more to physician owners than they do to a large hospital committee.
Common mistakes
- Selling to an ASC like a hospital. Long committee-style sales plans slow down deals that an ASC could decide quickly.
- Ignoring the physician owners. At many centers the surgeons who own the ASC make or heavily influence buying decisions.
- Assuming every ASC is multi-specialty. Check each center's specialties before targeting.
- Missing health system ties. An ASC that is a joint venture with a health system may buy through that system's contracts.
Related terms
Put it to work
- Ambulatory surgery centers list: ASC facilities and their decision makers
- Orthopedic surgeons list: surgeons who operate in ASCs
- MedTech launch use case: planning a launch across hospitals and ASCs