In the US, there are 40 to 50 million surgeries performed each year. It used to be that when a person had surgery, they were admitted to the hospital, and all surgeries were handled inside the confines of a full hospital setting.
Medical practices have changed greatly, and now many surgeries are performed as outpatient procedures. Once the surgery is complete, and the patient is stable, they can begin their recovery at home.
Medical professionals quickly figured out that bringing a patient into the hospital setting wasn’t necessary. Surgery centers that could handle the number of outpatient procedures were more efficient for both the patient and the doctors performing the surgeries.
Since this shift in medical practice, many surgery centers are opening and even proving to be a lucrative part of medical practice.
There’s a lot to think about when opening surgery centers, however. You need to make sure you’re doing everything you can to ensure this will be a successful business and maintain the safety and comfort of patients.
What are the most important steps when building surgery centers? If you’re considering building a surgery center, read on to learn more about all the things you should consider through the process.
Develop a Strong Business Model
You might not be building a hospital, but you are building a significant medical location where you’ll be charging money for services. So, while a doctor is performing surgery, the surgery center is a business.
You should never consider opening or starting a business without clear business goals and objectives. You need to do research about the demand for a surgical location, what growth you expect, and how your location could serve the community you plan to build in.
Study different medical business models to help establish your facility, build a business and serve the patient needs in the most effective way possible.
No business is successful, no matter the level of demand, without understanding the market. You will be making important decisions about your building site in the future.
You need to know the volume you expect to serve and what growth projections you see for the site. It can be detrimental to any business to overbuild. So, consider your needs and how you can expand in the future if demand supports it.
Every effective business model focuses on the stakeholders’ needs, including physicians, medical staff, patients, families, surgical center owners, and operators.
Begin Site Selection
Once you have a business model in place, you can begin the process of site selection.
There are a host of considerations to consider when selecting a surgery site. These should include:
- Operational needs
- Regulatory requirements of the facility
- Distance from area hospitals if transport is required
- Competition from other surgical centers in the area
You’ll need to take into account the size of the building you plan to build and make sure the property is appropriate for the building structure. You’ll need to consider:
- Number of operating rooms
- Plans for growth plans
- Ancillary medical services like radiology or rehabilitation,
As you consider different sites, you’ll also want to think about the accessibility for patients and their caregivers. It’s important to remember this is a business, and the customers (the patient) won’t come if it isn’t convenient for them.
Outpatient Surgery Center Design
Once you have a location, you’ll need to work with a design team for the building. You want to be sure the design team has experience in working on medical locations, so they know and follow all regulatory requirements.
Consider the layout for both patients as they enter the facility and the operational flow in the surgical and recovery areas.
You will also need to plan for sufficient storage, deliveries, and other ancillary services like pharmacy or even billing.
Trust the experience of the design team for both function and aesthetics. While you may be considering your surgical center from a business model, patients are coming for surgery and will need a comfortable and soothing environment.
Building any location from the ground up requires a long list of design and construction professionals. It’s critical your entire team has a strong understanding of outpatient surgical operations and regulatory requirements.
Opening the Surgery Center
Once the facility is built, you need to set it up. This means a lot of important surgical equipment, office equipment, and patient comfort areas.
You will want to have all inspections complete and run some tests on the facility to monitor building performance.
Staff training is key for optimum operational activity. They must be up to speed and well-trained in the:
- Current medical practices
- Use of technology
- Use and care of buildings systems
- Insurance practices
- Surgical equipment
Consider how you’ll get doctors in place to use the surgical facility and what staff they will need to assist them.
Consider every possible patient need and plan accordingly. Make sure you have what’s needed, and the staff is trained to always consider patient and family needs while in the surgical center.
Understand the Steps Needed in Building Surgery Centers
It makes sense from both a medical professional and patient standpoint to consider the use of surgery centers for outpatient surgery. It’s convenient and often easier to schedule than needing to use a hospital operating room.
The surgery centers are fully equipped with medical sites without the hassles of the hospital setting. If you’re considering building and opening a surgery center, we can help with all your surgical equipment needs.
Contact us to discuss your surgery center design and equipment needs so you’ll be fully equipped and ready to open for your patients’ needs.