Outpatient total joints continues to be one of the hottest trends in same-day surgery and we've got the team of experts who will tell you how to build a program designed to capitalize on the specialty's unquestioned growth potential.

"Half of all total joint procedures are expected to be performed in the outpatient setting by 2025," says Stephen Lucey, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at the Surgical Center of Greensboro (N.C.). "We had the opportunity to be one of the early adopters, so our goal is to make the learning curve shallower for other facilities."

During an immersive 3-hour workshop on the conference's opening morning, "Yes, We Built a Total Joints Surgery Center," Dr. Lucey and other members of his practice will discuss why they decided to negotiate and manage bundled payments for the procedures they perform in the surgery center they own.

We'll deliver down-and-dirty how-to's on running a successful total joints program.
— Stephen Lucey, MD

• Build for success in outpatient total joints. Dr. Lucey's team built the Surgery Center of Greensboro to keep pace with demand for total joints that's showing no signs of slowing. Their program has been up and running for nearly 2 years and their surgery center is 9 months old. During that time, Dr. Lucey and his team have performed more than 150 joint replacements and have put the pieces in place to scale the program. "We're not new to this, but we're still in growth mode," says Dr. Lucey. "We're ready to double our volume because we've done a good job of preparing for long-term success."
• Clinical pillars. Dr. Lucey is excited to discuss the essential elements of his pre-operative, perioperative and post-operative clinical pillars. He'll detail the inclusion criteria he's established to confirm patients are suitable for surgery in the outpatient setting, the standardized order sets that ensure surgeons follow the same steps during every case and the group's post-op recovery and pain management protocols.
• Financial picture. Donna Garvey, the group's practice administrator, will discuss how the team makes the joints program financially viable, including the essentials of negotiating and managing bundled payments. She says it's important to understand what a 90-day episode of care looks like both in terms of your facility's budget and the payer's perspective.

"You must fully understand the expenses involved, from day-of-surgery case costs to post-acute care spends like physical therapy," she explains. "You'll learn about managing bundled payments and the importance of communicating with payers and the downstream providers you contract with to achieve the best possible outcomes." Case managers are also key, adds Ms. Garvey. "They remain in constant contact with patients," she explains. "They also report back to our surgeons if any issues arise during the post-op period. The ultimate goal is to keep recoveries on track and avoid costly emergency room visits."

• Questions, please. There will be plenty of time during the workshop to ask the questions you want answered. "We've presented on this topic on several occasions and it's never difficult to get the conversation started," comments Dr. Lucey. He's prepared to share what it takes to get payers to the negotiating table and how to agree on a fair and profitable bundled payment for an entire episode of care, which begins as soon as patients schedule surgery and ends 90 days after their procedures. He's also ready to discuss how to manage the financial and clinical risks that come with being completely responsible for how well patients are treated before, during and after surgery.

Their ultimate goal is to share the insights and advice you need to launch your own program or take your existing one to the next level. "We'll deliver the down-and-dirty how-to's," says Dr. Lucey. "It's going to be fun and informative." OSM