Meet Mentor Surgery Center, a state-of-the-art, multispecialty ASC based in Mentor, Ohio. Mentor Surgery Center has been providing quality care across a wide variety of specialties since 1998, including ear, nose, and throat; general surgery; orthopedics; ophthalmology; pain management; plastic surgery; podiatry; urology, and more.
Read on to learn how Mentor Surgery Center partnered with Amblitel for help with accounting and financial management for ASCs.
The Challenge: Struggling with Metrics, Contracts, and Budgets
Before partnering with Amblitel, Mentor Surgery Center struggled with concerns that were voiced by its board of directors. Administrators found it challenging to deliver board packets with the level of detail the board of directors was really looking for, such as analysis on payers, specialties, surgeons, cases, and other important metrics.
But the challenges didn’t end there for Mentor Surgery Center: Budgeting was a long and grueling process that lacked the appropriate expertise, and payer contracts hadn’t been properly managed or updated in many years. Additionally, ASC administrators were unable to provide an adequate annual evaluation of shares to determine what the market value is to purchase them back, which is very important when owners retire.
The Solution: Partnering with Amblitel for Financial Management
How did Mentor Surgery Center decide Amblitel was the best solution for it? It all started when the surgical center first opened more than 23 years ago. Amblitel’s founder and CEO Paul Davis was part of Mentor Surgery Center’s initial management company before eventually splitting to start his own company.
Key stakeholders at Mentor Surgery Center ultimately found Amblitel through their CEO connection and decided to work with the company after exploring services offered by different vendors in the space. In addition to feeling comfortable due to their familiarity with leadership, Mentor Surgery Center also chose to partner with Amblitel because of its exceptional financial package, analysis on an as-needed basis, budgeting process assistance, and negotiation of new and existing payer contracts.
The Results: Improving the ASC’s Financial Health for Lasting Success
Since partnering with Amblitel more than 10 years ago, Mentor Surgery Center has performed 4,000-5,000 surgical cases—and it’s still thriving today. Amblitel’s support has been incredibly well received at the surgery center, with immediate results such as:
Wowed board members with reports
Mentor Surgery Center now has the ability to benchmark financial performance in its board packets. Board members were not only wowed by the high level of detail in the reports but also began looking to Amblitel’s CEO for regular input. Now, when Amblitel works on budgeting, key board members, such as the CFO, ask questions to get Amblitel’s expert take on budgeting decisions. It’s a true partnership in every sense of the word.
Improved payer contract negotiations
Gone are the days of Mentor Surgery Center worrying about payer contracts. With new and improved payer contract negotiations, it has been able to avoid contractuals up front, ultimately decreasing average accounts receivable days. For example, on a claim for carpal tunnel syndrome, the charges may be $3,000; however, if the payer only allows $1,000, the contractual adjustment would be $2,000.
Unrivaled day-to-day customer support
According to Tracy Peters, Mentor Surgery Center’s administrator, Amblitel’s day-to-day customer support is like nothing the center has ever seen before. “I can call Amblitel on any day and ask a general question, whether it is an accounting question or not. They’re very savvy in that type of environment, so sometimes when I’m having a problem, I bounce it off of them. All that is included in our set fee,” Peters explained.
Enhanced, accurate inventory management
“When Amblitel came on, we had a huge inventory problem,” Peters said. However, by working with Amblitel to see what it was doing wrong, Mentor Surgery Center reduced inventory costs on monthly accounts receivable. With more accurate inventory data at their fingertips, administrators no longer need to make huge adjustments.
Reduced full-time employee headcount
In addition to inventory management, Amblitel also helped Mentor Surgery Center reduce its full-time employee (FTE) headcount. With Amblitel’s support, Mentor Surgery Center was able to bring the number of FTEs down from 21 to 19 after looking at staffing measures and realizing the center had too many individuals on the payroll.
Secured PPP loans during COVID-19
Additionally, Amblitel worked with Mentor Surgery Center to secure Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. “I don’t know what I would have done about PPP without Amblitel, and that’s being 100 percent honest,” Peters said. “They worked directly with me, helped me through it, made sure we had everything we needed, and helped me successfully get those funds relieved.”
The Future: Planning for a Long-Term Partnership with Amblitel
When it comes to their partnership, the future for Amblitel and Mentor Surgery Center is very bright. Amblitel uses projections to determine where Mentor Surgery Center wants to be and encourages the center to step it up on case volume and explore new specialties, ultimately driving up reimbursements and building lasting business success.
When asked about how Amblitel helped with growth and future planning, Peters shared, “Amblitel helped me do a whole performa on what it would be to bring eye surgeons back to Mentor Surgery Center, with a level of detail on everything from A to Z. The performa showed where we could be, and when we look back on it now, we’re doing as good or better than predicted.”
Mentor Surgery Center plans to continue working with Amblitel because it’s extremely reliable, reports are incredibly accurate, and the quality of work is simply unmatched by others in the industry. Get in touch to learn more about Amblitel’s accounting and financial services for ASCs.
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