When Lightning Strikes

By Kelly M. Pyrek

It’s Election Day 2004 as I write this column, and in the background, my television is humming with snippets from political pundits, outtakes from candidates’ speeches, and images of one of the highest voter turnouts in three decades. Figures tabulated by The Associated Press showed that 114.3 million people had voted, with 99 percent of precincts reporting; however, about 120 million people cast ballots, including 5.5 million to 6 million absentee and provisional ballots yet to be counted, according to the nonpartisan Committee for the Study of the American Electorate. The 120 million figure represents just under 60 percent of eligible voters — the highest percentage turnout since 1968.

For every voter, some particular issue had acted as a lightning rod, whether it was the war in Iraq, terrorism, the economy, healthcare, or any number of other hotly contested issues. In assembling this year’s legislative update during the unfolding of such critical presidential, Senate and House races, I got to thinking how appropriate it was to ponder civic involvement at the grassroots level.

As a member of the often-challenged ambulatory surgery industry, you are probably far more cognizant of the importance of the political system than the average person. As a medical entrepreneur, you understand that your very livelihood is coming under attack from Big Healthcare, and that any number of governmental and private-sector entities would like to see you go out of business. Even though an increasing number of educated consumers are mandating the ambulatory surgery model of healthcare delivery, you are fighting detractors with giant war chests, sophisticated political machinery, and the will to see you go under despite your demise being detrimental to the provision of patient-friendly, cost-effective, high-quality healthcare.

The industry is benefiting from the tireless efforts of veteran lobbyists like Randy Fenninger, Michael Romansky and Eric Zimmerman, to name a few, as well as a cadre of smart, effective leaders tapped from industry associations, state medical societies, ASCs, surgical hospitals, corporate management companies, and others. There is impressive brainpower reflected in the boards of groups like the Federated Ambulatory Surgery Association (FASA), the American Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers (AAASC) and the American Surgical Hospital Association (ASHA). These associations have been banging the drum for months and years now, alerting their members to assaults on the industry, creating strategic political ties with policymakers, and strengthening the arsenal with which to fight a very long battle.

2005 may be a watershed year, or it may be just another 365 days in which to seek resolution of issues and remediation of grievances and unfair strikes against the industry. It also means another 52 weeks to get involved in your state association, join a grassroots campaign, contact your state and federal representatives, and get the word out about the benefits of ambulatory surgery. What’s your lightning rod? Rebasing rates? Physician ownership? The reimbursement freeze? The moratorium? CON laws? It’s time for lightning to strike.

Until next month,

Kelly M. Pyrek
Editor in Chief
kpyrek@vpico.com