Advertise on podcast: Advancing Surgical Care Podcast

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA CEO Bill Prentice is joined by ASCA President Todd Currier for a wide-ranging discussion about his aspirations for ASCA, his presidency and the ASC community. As the administrator of Bend Surgery Center in Bend, Oregon, Currier understands the challenges and opportunities of operating a surgery center today and is passionate about advocating with policymakers on behalf of the ASC community. Tune in to learn more about what led him through the ranks to ASCA president and hear his message to all ASCA members.

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA CEO Bill Prentice talks with One World Surgery CEO Claire Cunningham about the start of volunteer medical missions at the organization’s new surgery center in the Dominican Republic. For the past 10 years, ASCA has supported One World Surgery’s mission of delivering high-quality surgical care globally through financial assistance and scholarships for ASCA members to participate in its medical missions. Tune in for an engaging discussion to learn more about the extraordinary work One World Surgery is doing and opportunities to participate in life-saving medical missions at its locations in Honduras or the Dominican Republic.

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Past President Mandy Hawkins introduces the work ASCA’s Artificial Intelligence Working Group is doing to support the safe adoption of AI tools in ASCs. She is joined by Becky Ziegler-Otis, assistant executive director of the ASC Quality Collaboration, for an engaging conversation about administrative AI applications available to surgery centers. With practical advice and real-world examples of how AI can improve the efficiency of patient engagement and administrative support, Hawkins and Ziegler-Otis also provide essential guidance to ensure patient privacy and HIPAA compliance in using AI applications.

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA CEO Bill Prentice talks with ASCA Board Member Raghu Reddy about strategies and tactics for successfully managing many of the prior authorization requirements placed on ASCs and their patients today.  Reddy is the chief administrative officer of MiOrtho Surgery Center in Southfield, Michigan, and in addition to his service on the ASCA Board, he also serves on ASCA’s Education and Programs and Quality Committees.  At ASCA’s annual conference this past May, Reddy gave an intensive, hour-long presentation on how to effectively manage prior authorization requirements. In this informative episode, he distills his comprehensive presentation down to 20 minutes, covering patient intake, interoffice coordination, risk assessments, methods for remedying denials and the internal tracking that he believes is essential to overcoming these challenges.

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice leads a conversation about the challenges of providing anesthesia services in surgery centers today. Prentice is joined by Garrett Hilgendorf, administrator of Mankato Surgery Center in Mankato, Minnesota, and Brett Maxfield, CRNA, principal and founder of Maxfield Health Solutions, a provider of anesthesia equipment and consulting services based in Rigby, Idaho.  Obtaining anesthesia services has become one of the most complex parts of running a successful ASC today, and striking the right balance between providing high-quality anesthesia care and maintaining financial viability is harder than ever. During this insightful discussion, Hilgendorf and Maxfield talk about how they are innovating and adapting to succeed in this new and challenging environment.  Both Hilgendorf and Maxfield will also participate in a panel discussion on managing anesthesia services at the ASCA + SAMBA Conference & Expo in Washington, DC, this May. ASCA’s partnership with SAMBA (Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia) for this year’s conference will provide a more interdisciplinary learning and networking experience for the entire ASC community.

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Advocacy Officer Kara Newbury talks with Chris Fox, executive director of Voices for Non-Opioid Choices (Voices), about the federal Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) Act. This highly informative discussion details how the NOPAIN Act temporarily allows providers to charge separately for drugs, biologicals and medical devices that have been approved as non-opioid pain treatments to help reduce opioid usage by Medicare beneficiaries. By increasing access to non-opioid alternatives that facilities might not otherwise use—or that Medicare beneficiaries would have to pay for out-of-pocket—the legislation aims to reduce the incidence of addiction and abuse. Voices is a nonpartisan coalition dedicated to preventing opioid addiction and abuse by advocating for increased patient and provider access to non-opioid pain management therapies.

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice is joined by Chris Schriever, cofounder and chief executive officer of ASC Data, an ASCA affinity partner. ASC Data specializes in providing actionable statistics on the ASC market, helping businesses identify future opportunities.  During this brief, informative discussion, Schriever talks about the sources he relies on for compiling his proprietary reports on thousands of ASCs, and how ASC Data is filling the need for detailed and reliable data about ASCs all across the country.  Many in the ASCA community already know Schriever and his team for the support they provide ASCA in the recruitment and management of ASCA’s affiliate and sponsorship relationships, especially those that help make ASCA’s annual conference a success each year.  Learn how this insightful data is helping providers tailor their offerings for ASCs, anticipate future trends, and allow administrators to more efficiently access the essential supplies and services they need to run and manage their ASCs.

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice talks with Nina Goins, executive director of the ASC Quality Collaboration (ASCQC), about the organization’s focus on helping ASCs maintain the highest standards of safety and quality in the delivery of surgical care. Prentice and Goins discuss the organization’s ASC Safety & Quality Assessment, which is offered annually May 1 through June 15 and results in the publication of a national benchmarking report. Goins was appointed executive director of ASCQC in March, following the retirement of Kathy Wilson. ASCA encourages all ASCs to take part in the short, confidential assessment and to learn more about ASCQC’s abundant resources and toolkits, all of which can be found on the ASCQC website.

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice and ASCA Chief Advocacy Officer Kara Newbury discuss the 2026 final payment rule for ASCs released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on November 21.  The 1,657-page rule establishes the inflation update for Medicare payments to ASCs, the expanded list of surgical codes that can be performed on Medicare beneficiaries in the ASC setting, significant changes to the ASC Quality Reporting Program and more.  Prentice and Newbury break it all down in less than 20 minutes, providing essential guidance, information and resources for Medicare-certified ASCs in the year ahead.

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice and Alberto Ardon, MD, president of the Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia (SAMBA), discuss their collaboration to address the current anesthesia provider shortage and plans for the ASCA + SAMBA Conference & Expo, May 13–16 in Washington, DC.   As ASCA members are acutely aware, the healthcare system is currently facing a significant shortage of anesthesia providers. While ASCA has always maintained strong relationships with other professional medical organizations, including those representing the anesthesia community, the urgency of today’s shortage has raised the stakes and the importance of greater collaboration between surgery centers and the anesthesiologists who practice in them.  Tune in to learn more about efforts to relieve the current shortage of anesthesia providers as well as the first-of-its-kind joint annual conference. Visit the ASCA + SAMBA 2026 website to see the full conference schedule.

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice talks with Beth LaBouyer, executive director of the California Ambulatory Surgery Association (CASA), about her impending retirement at the end of this year. LaBouyer started her career in nursing, then worked as an ASC administrator and served as a CASA volunteer, ultimately joining the CASA board and becoming the organization’s first executive director. Over the next 21 years, she built and grew CASA into one of the premier state ASC associations in the country. In this poignant conversation, she shares her approach to leadership and advocacy, her thoughts about the future challenges and opportunities in the ASC community—at both the state and federal levels—the advent of artificial intelligence in ASCs, and more.

In this episode of ASCA’s Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, “Integrating EHRs in ASCs,” ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice talks with Illinois Ambulatory Surgery Center Association President Melissa Rice about procuring and implementing electronic health records (EHR) in the ASC setting. Rice is the administrator of Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center at Oakbrook Terrace in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois—a member of Trinity Health—and has a wealth of knowledge about EHRs and fostering their adoption in ASCs.

In celebration of National ASC Month this August, the latest episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast offers a quick, 10-minute overview of the valuable resources available to help spotlight both individual surgery centers and the ASC community as a whole. Tune in to hear ASCA Government Affairs Manager Maia Kunkel discuss National ASC Month activities, including how to coordinate surgery center tours with elected officials and how to participate in ASCA’s National Advocacy Day—an annual event where ASCA members travel to Washington, DC, to advocate for ASCs on Capitol Hill.

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice talks with employment law expert Salvatore Puccio, partner at Garfunkel Wild, a law firm that specializes in addressing regulatory and business challenges in the healthcare industry. Prentice and Puccio discuss a wide range of workplace issues, including advice on how to maintain workplace harmony, conduct proper employee performance evaluations, approach disciplinary actions and more.

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice talks with Naya Kehayes about her presentation “Pro Tips for Successful ASC Payer Contract Negotiations” at ASCA’s annual conference in Denver this past May. Kehayes, a national speaker on ASC business strategy and current member of the ASCA Government Affairs Committee, covers highlights from her presentation and provides practical and insightful advice that can benefit every ASC.