KELSEYVILLE — Surgery centers that offer outpatient services are in jeopardy, according to the operator of a facility in Lake County.
Paula Dhanda, M.D. and husband, John Clarke, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) opened Specialty Care and Surgery Center in Kelseyville in 2006. It is the only fully-accredited, multispecialty ambulatory surgery center (ASC) in the county.
ASCs are modern health care facilities that provide same-day surgical care, Dhanda said, adding they opened the facility “out of a commitment to serve this community.”
ASCs offer a lower-cost alternative to surgery than at a hospital. Both types of facilities are subjected to the same rigorous oversight and independent inspections to meet state and national standards, according to Dhanda.
“We can do any outpatient surgery that a hospital can do for significantly less cost,” she said. “That means the patient plans to go home the same day to have their surgery here. Larger surgeries, where patients need to stay overnight or a few nights, have to be done at a hospital.”
ASCs are in danger because Medicare payments to ASCs are much lower than for hospitals, she said.
“At this time, we get paid 79 percent less than hospitals do,” Dhanda said. “I think it puts surgery centers in jeopardy of closing. In fact, a lot of surgery centers have closed.”
Dhanda said as many as 52 ASCs have closed their doors. Some hospitals have purchased ASCs, increasing rates for patients to what hospitals charge.
“That would be detrimental to the public, the taxpayers who would pay more for procedures,” Dhanda said. “In this health care climate, we need to see costs go down.”
Dhanda and Clarke gave Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) a tour of the facility April 2 in the hopes of Thompson offering his support to a bill that would increase payments to ASCs. The bill, H.R. 2108, would amend a portion of the Social Security Act to modernize payments for ASCs under the Medicare program.
“I”ve long been involved in healthcare and I always want to know how it”s unfolding on the ground,” Thompson said. “Disparity and reimbursement is an issue not only with these guys but in other areas as well. It all comes down to money. That”s a challenge. But it”s important to know what that money”s going to when you have to make those decisions.”
Dhanda said she and Clarke are supportive of hospitals.
“We work at both the hospitals (in Lake County),” she said. “We support hospitals fully. We just want to see patients get lower costs.”
Kevin N. Hume can be reached at kevin.n.hume@gmail.com or call directly 263-5636 ext. 14. Follow on Twitter: @KevinNHume.
