Why Surgicalist Programs Are the Future of Emergency Acute Care
There is a growing trend among practicing surgeons to seek a greater work-life balance, and many surgeons are moving away from private practice to avoid the strenuous and stressful regimen of constantly being on-call. This, along with uncompensated care, declining reimbursement, and liability issues, is contributing to an unprecedented shortage of on-call surgeons performing emergency care. Unsurprisingly, hospitals are in need of a comprehensive strategy that will help them keep up with ever-increasing patient demands.
Currently, there is a significant need for innovative plans of action that will help not only manage emergency surgical care and potentially improve patient outcomes but will also facilitate greater improvements within the hospital system overall. A surgicalist model addresses these needs, providing 24/7 dedicated local emergency surgeons for immediate emergency general surgery and trauma care, or even orthopedic surgery. The implementation of such an approach is aimed toward making a difference every day in the lives of patients.
The Role of a Surgicalist in Future Care
Although a traditional hospitalist model can be viable in certain care settings, the adoption of a surgicalist strategy can provide specific advantages in patient care and hospital-specific outcomes, as evidenced by numerous hospital case studies throughout the United States. Shorter wait times reduced the length of stay (LOS), fewer complications, and lower rates of patient transfers represent some of the reasons why a surgicalist model will advance emergency care now and in the future.
Improved Patient Care
The quality of patient care in emergency surgery continues to be a big priority for hospitals across the country. A 5-year study with Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, showed noticeable benefits related to the surgicalist model for improving patient outcomes. After partnering with Surgical Affiliates and incorporating the surgicalist program in their center, overall patient complications were down by 43% and LOS decreased from 6.5 to 5.7 days.
Surgicalist programs may also increase the number of trauma surgeries performed annually, thereby increasing practice experience among surgeons. Greater experience often translates into more knowledgeable surgeons and a higher quality of care. At NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield, California, for example, trauma surgeries increased by 3.5% in 2014 compared with 2012.
Greater Employee Retention
Compared with a traditional model of care, the surgicalist strategy reduces the need for surgeons to juggle both on-call and elective practices. When surgeons have a greater work-life balance and a clearer focus on what’s required of them (i.e., surgeries that they were trained to do), their quality of life improves. At Memorial Hospital Los Banos in central California, the implementation of a surgicalist program resulted in a significant improvement in its employee turnover rate, likely mirroring the greater workflow efficiency and higher physician satisfaction accomplished by their new surgicalist program.
Hospital Cost Savings
A surgicalist model may also help reduce costs as well as contribute to a hospital’s overall fiscal goals. For example, a surgicalist program may reduce rates of patient transfers to other facilities, which can help drive greater financial benefits to the hospital. At NorthBay Medical Center, the expanded trauma efforts by the surgicalist program were associated with an 81% reduction in transfers in 2014 compared with 2012.
Hospitals Stay Ahead of the Curve with a Surgicalist Program
The movement toward round-the-clock emergency care with highly trained surgicalists represents the changing landscape of healthcare. Millions of patients who require trauma or emergency general surgical care—particularly those admitted to rural area hospitals—have limited access to a qualified surgeon. The adoption and application of a surgicalist program help hospitals stay ahead of their competition, leading the way toward improving patient care in the emergency setting and making a difference in the lives of patients every day.
Surgical Affiliates and the Surgicalist Approach
Surgical Affiliates Management Group is committed to making a positive difference every day in the lives of patients seeking emergency surgical care. They are the first and only organization with proven results demonstrating their ability to lower hospital costs, decrease rates of readmissions, and improve the care of patients. To learn more about Surgical Affiliates and their efforts toward providing permanent surgicalist programs in hospitals around the country, read about the Surgical Affiliates System of Care©.
