Today's clinical providers and healthcare systems need a strategic partner that is focused on the evolution of healthcare delivery. At Surgery Partners, we are redefining the healthcare industry as a nation's leading independent operator of surgical facilities and ancillary services. With an extensive presence spanning over 180 locations nationwide, our commitment extends beyond healthcare. It's about fostering successful partnerships that enhance the quality of care in the communities we serve. Surgery Partners is more than an operator or service provider. We are your strategic ally committed to transforming healthcare delivery. Learn more at surgerypartners.com. This is Alan Connan with the Becker's ASC podcast. And I'm thrilled to be joined today by Rebecca Craig, CEO at Harmony Surgery Center, which is a joint venture partnership between the University of Colorado Health, I. E. UCHealth, and local physicians. Rebecca, a pleasure to have you join the podcast today. For those of our listeners who might not be as familiar with you, your surgery center, or the work that you do, do you mind taking a moment to give us a little bit more insight into the role and your background? Absolutely. And thanks for having me on Becker's podcast. Appreciate the time. Just a little bit about myself. Like you said, I'm the CEO for Harmony Surgery Center and, Peak Surgical Management. This facility, we I helped open twenty five years ago. We're a large multi specialty surgery center, five ORs and six procedure rooms. And like you said, we're a joint venture with UCHealth. We're accredited by the joint commission. And last year, we had the honor of serving over 25, thousand patients. And, as far as the management company, we formed Peak Surgical Management in 02/2007, and that was just to help us continue allow managing Harmony Surgery Center and, doing other development projects such as other developing other ASCs and, providing just consulting health care services for whoever needed assistance, whoever gave us a call. So a little bit about myself. I'm a I started out in the OR as a OR nurse circulating and scrubbing and worked in PACU and GI and pain management. So all those areas just really folded in wonderfully to my career in the the ASC industry and got my MBA after, after a while of of doing this. And it's just been a great compliment, and I feel very, very grateful to have such a career that I love and and enjoy and a wonderful team of people that I work with. Yeah. Fantastic. Thanks so much for the the brief breakdown there. Certainly, it seems like you wear many different hats, I think it's fair to say, on any given day. Both a CEO of Harmony Surgery Center, also in terms of those consulting services as well. Rebecca, when you're as CEO of your ASC, when you're sup survey the ASC industry today, what are kind of two or three key trends that you're paying close attention to and why? Well, on a more, facility level, it was still a national issue, but, I I think I I felt important to mention it. Currently, we're working on the new AMI standards, the AMI s t one zero eight standards and being compliant. I think last year, we heard a little bit about it, but as other ASCs were being surveyed and, cited for deficiencies, I think it was it's important to just talk about that. So, hopefully, everybody's getting that word because most of our instrumentation has IFUs or, instructions for use that we have to follow. And a lot of those instrumentation, processing, it requires critical water and in our reprocessing area, So sterile processing. And to meet that critical water requirement, a lot of ASCs will need to invest in pricey water treatments systems back in their sterile processing areas. So hopefully everybody is working on that. Otherwise, whether the state comes in, federal, or your crediting body comes in, we're gonna see more and more deficiencies cited. So, hopefully, everybody's, on point with that and working working on that. I know it was I was had a sticker shock when, when the company came in and let us know how much our investment was gonna be, but I just think people need to be working on that. I guess the other thing that people need to be keeping an eye on, which I think we all are, we've it's been around. So site neutrality, I'm just on a on a federal level keeping an eye on that those discussions. And then facility fees that came around to Colorado and other states, and we're just wanting to make sure that, we don't want it to impact ASCs. I think they're that legislation has been geared towards, I'll just make it global, but other other entities. And we just wanna make sure it inadvertently doesn't impact surgery centers. So continuing to educate our legislators on that. Yeah. I I guess, just quick thought to follow-up on the AMES t one zero eight standards. You'd obviously mentioned, the sterile processing aspect. I'm just curious. Are there any other particular challenges you've come up against in terms of being compliant there or anything you're doing, to kinda stay on top of those? Well, I I think educating ourselves because, again, yesterday I I don't know exactly when they were approved, but last year was when we started to hear more about it. I think ASCA had a education on it earlier in the year, but surprisingly, I I didn't see a lot on it. I I guess I would imagine more to be out on it because that's that's a huge a huge undertaking for a lot of ASCs, whether you're two OR ASCs or whether you're you're large. I think everybody needs to be doing their assessment on what you know, looking at your IFUs to see what specifically, the IFUs say. But if if you need critical water and you're just using, tap water in your sterile you know, your washers, your big stairs washers, or you you need to be looking at all of that and assessing, whether if it's just if you just do GI, OR, what whatever your needs are, you need to be doing that assessment now so you can because, again, if you have to work with a, a company to install those water treatment systems, it's a huge undertaking. So I think everybody just needs to be jumping on it and looking at their facility to make sure you're good or if not, what you need to be to, you know, to be compliant. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. And and in terms of the other things you mentioned, obviously, no doubt on the top of most ASC leaders' minds when we think about site neutrality, the the move from hospitals pushing towards site neutral payments. Facility fees, obviously, a big a big one in Colorado. In terms of the the new administration that we're under now, is there are there any changes that you are more more concerned about or anything you see coming down the pipeline? I know there's so much in the up in the air at the moment. How do you kinda stay on top of, news from Capitol Hill and how it may or may not affect your ASC? Well, I'm actually excited about this administration because previously, they were very helpful in decreasing administrative burden for ASCs. We we saw a little bit of relief. So I was, I I'm hopeful. I think the they they're focusing on efficiency, and that's right up our alley. So I think that, it could have some positive impacts for our industry. I think. And then kind of following on directly from that, we talked a little bit about some of the challenges, some of the trends that you're focused on there. When you look ahead, what are you most focused on or most excited about as it pertains to to your center at the moment? Well, I think I'm I'm proud of last year when we added our fifth OR and our sixth procedure room with that renovation. I'm proud of, that project in general because it came in under budget on time. We didn't have any interim life safety issues, and my team was very flexible and supportive of the renovation. So I think that was a win win. So I'm I'm pretty proud of that, accomplishment that we that we did last year. And looking forward, I'll be working on, you know, of course, making sure that that is utilized and our business continues to grow. Yeah. Fantastic. I mean, what I think definitely worth, giving a feather in your cap there. Five awards, I believe you said, six procedure rooms. I believe you said cater to 25,000 patients, if I'm not mistaken, last year. Can you can you give us some insight? What were the keys, in your view to bringing that project under budget and on time? Well, I think just staying on top of everything, we're very involved. We had a great, construction company and a project team. So I think that everybody worked well together. And, again, just being very I I have a wonderful team that surrounds me. I think that's that's has led our facility to be successful, very just very involved in in the day to day and making sure that I don't know. We're just I think that's the biggest thing is we're just very involved and very dedicated to the success of the center. Our hearts are very involved, and it means a lot to us that we save every little penny that we can, but ensuring that we end up with a a great a great outcome. And, again, our project or our our construction team, with Beacon Construction was they did an excellent job. So I think that whole picture lended itself to a successful outcome. Fantastic. It's great to hear a little bit more about you, the CEO, the team around you. Rebecca, last question I have before I let you go. The ASC space, such a exciting yet challenging time, but but plenty to look forward to, plenty coming down the pipeline. What advice would you give to emerging leaders in the ASC space today? Well, I think being involved on a state level and a federal level, that that's how you learn. That's how you can network. And I know personally that's how I grew. I tried to jump into the state and federal, whether it was our state association or ASCA. And I I think being involved, that's that's the best way. And they ASCA's got some great mentoring programs. So I think for for new emerging leaders, which we need those, and if hopefully, all ASCs are trying to work on their succession planning within their surgery centers to make sure that when, somebody retires, those those shoes are filled. But, yeah, I I would just say be involved. And whether it's going to Becker's, it's it's all that. That's what I did to develop myself, and I I think that I think that that all is very helpful. I think some excellent advice and food for thought to round out our discussion today. Rebecca, a real pleasure to get to connect you today, make your debut appearance on the Beckers podcast, and certainly look forward to catching up with you and your team down the line. Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.