Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Michael Gale, Administrative Director at Sentara Obici Ambulatory Surgical Center
Jul 26, 2025
Michael Gale is the Administrative Director at Sentara Obici Ambulatory Surgical Center, with a diverse background in healthcare management. He discusses the movement of higher acuity cases to ambulatory surgical centers, prompted by new CMS policies. Gale emphasizes the importance of tailored patient care and education, especially for outpatient knee replacements. He also delves into the challenges of regulatory factors, the role of AI in improving surgery operations, and the need to attract younger physicians to ensure future success in this evolving landscape.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Accelerating Migration to ASCs
- Migration of hospital-based surgical procedures to ASCs is accelerating, driven by CMS incentives.
- Higher acuity cases like spine surgeries are becoming feasible in the ASC setting, expanding care options.
Focus on Post-Op Care
- Ensure strong post-operative care with patient education and home health for total joint cases.
- Immediate ambulation and tailored discharge processes improve patient outcomes in ASCs.
AI Needs Big Data for Impact
- AI requires large patient data sets for meaningful impact on predictive analytics and clinical outcomes.
- Despite hype, current ASC growth excitement stems more from policy-driven migration of cases than AI advances.