Authors
Heart & Vascular Institute of Alabama (HVIA) has received Certificate of Need (CON) Board approval for Alabama’s first single-specialty cardiology ambulatory surgery center (ASC). The new ASC in Montgomery, Alabama will provide endovascular and cardiac catheterization procedures. Similar ASCs have operated for several years in Texas, Florida, and other states without CON programs. HVIA will improve access to high-quality cardiac care for area residents while reducing costs for payors and patients compared to hospital outpatient departments. HVIA overcame heavy opposition from Montgomery hospitals. Barring further legal proceedings, the new ASC is scheduled to open in 2024.
The ASC will have one operating room and one procedure room. The procedure room will house a state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization laboratory. The ASC will initially perform diagnostic catheterization procedures. It will not perform percutaneous coronary interventions due to restrictions in the Alabama State Health Plan. HVIA plans to ask for amendments to remove those restrictions and make the state plan consistent with standards adopted by cardiology professional bodies.
Jim Stidham, MBA, CASC, president of Healthcare Management Associates (HMA) and Ron Luke, JD, PhD helped prepare the CON application and provided expert testimony at the CON hearing. HMA provides consulting services for all phases of ASC facility development. RPC provides CON services to healthcare providers and attorneys nationally.
For additional information on RPC and HMA, or to discuss a project, contact Jim Stidham, MBA, CASC, at (205) 999-7377 or jstidham@rpcconsulting.com, or Ron Luke, JD, PhD, at (512) 371-8166 or rluke@rpcconsulting.com.
Learn More About Our CON Services Here
Learn More About Our ASC Services Here
Visit HMA’s Website Here
Read Becker’s ASC Review press release HERE