Why Joining an Industry Association Can be a Valuable Investment for Your ASC

Why Joining an Industry Association Can be a Valuable Investment for Your ASC

New Year’s Resolution: Join an Association or Two

By Kathy Bryant, president, FASA

Even though we have more and more technology to assist us it seems we all struggle harder and harder to accomplish our goals. I have one suggestion that can help you — join the associations relevant to you. If you are a member of your national association, join your state association. If you are a member of a national and state ASC association, join the local chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business.

When promoting involvement in associations, most cite the advocacy done by associations as the primary benefit. Associations play a critical role in the legislative and regulatory process at all levels of government. Without the work of associations, the government would have much less information about the impact of its actions. Even with the best advocacy team, associations don’t always get what they want. At least in part this is due to associations representing different industries and seeking inconsistent actions. Because credibility and clout are a function of membership size and resources, joining your associations increases their effectiveness. By being involved in letter writing campaigns, responding to surveys, and sharing your expertise, you increase their effectiveness even more.

Association members have access to incredible resources, such as changes in government regulations, what is happening in the industry and best practices to achieve success. This information includes magazines, educational meetings, industry-specific resources and data on industry trends. It may be suggested that with access to information via the Internet, why join an association? It is true that extensive information is available on the Internet and we all take advantage of this source. However, it is not a replacement for information provided by associations and it is often time consuming to discern what you really need. The recently proposed rule on Medicare payments for ASCs provides an example of the benefits of associations. CMS included a wealth of information on its Web site. On the other hand, FASA provided not only the full text of the proposed rule, but enhanced detail on the provisions affecting ASCs and analysis.

Networking is another of the great resources associations offer. At meetings sponsored by associations you have the opportunity to get immediate feedback on issues confronting you. In addition, you have a resource to call on throughout the year as issues arise.

A plethora of excuses exist for not joining associations — they cater to one segment, they accomplish nothing, I can get the benefits without paying and I don’t use enough of their stuff to be worth the money... On the other hand, an association reflects its members and their involvement so if you want your association to be different, join and get involved. I would add that when you compare the benefits to the rather small membership fee, the array of information and services associations provide will justify the expense even if you only call them once.

Bringing the Industry Together

By Craig Jeffries, executive director, AAASC

AAASC offers to its members access to a network of colleagues, relevant timely communications, continuing education, financial and clinical benchmarking, and a voice at the federal and state level.

Annual meetings, seminars, and listservs all provide opportunities for clinical and non-clinical administrators, physicians, materials management staff, coding and billing staff, and all others involved in the operations of an ASC to network. As questions and concerns arise between planned gatherings, listservs are a medium for AAASC members to get advice from other members with continuous contact 24/7. AAASC believes that associations are about people — bringing people together.

Everyone is very busy. Yet a lack of awareness leads to a lack of preparedness. AAASC members receive timely email updates that provide a short paragraph summary of current issues or events along with an ability to link to more extensive information on the topic if needed. A national association dedicates much of its time to monitoring and gathering information that may affect its members, assessing the urgency and impact, informing members of relevant happenings while the news is still new, and looking for direction from the members on the need for an industry response to the information.

Continuing education offered at annual meetings and regional seminars help ASCs achieve their core competencies: high-quality, patient centered, efficient and cost effective surgical services.

Most physicians and professionals are in the healthcare industry to improve the quality of life for their patients. National ASC associations like AAASC work hard at improving the quality of life for your center allowing physicians, administrators and nurses to focus on their patients and their family.