Quality, cost and teamwork: Adding the human element to perioperative services. Proceedings of the Association of Anesthesia Clinical Directors (AACD) Annual Perioperative Summit, 2019

The stated goal of MIPS is primarily to refine the reimbursement process by implementing meaningful measures of quality, decrease the regulatory burden that data collection places on clinicians, and reduce overall costs of care. Since MIPS is required to be budget neutral, the payout to those who achieve the required performance measures is balanced by penalties to those who fail to do so or do not participate. If need be, a new face of the practice should be introduced to act as a conduit of information between the group and hospital leadership. Since these situations arise predominately due to finances, expenditures need to be examined and alternative strategies for staffing and operating room management need to be explored. [...]the surgical technicians did not strike, which is an important point as the hospital was able to provide continuity and direction for the short-term workers. [...]case volumes decreased 33% and first case starts delays increased by 70%.