The DocBuddy Journal

In this solo episode, host Erik Sunset explores two critical studies, the first on physician burnout and the second on practical solutions for ASC leaders. Discover how dedicating just one 20-30 minute appointment slot per day for administrative work reduced after-hours EHR use by 53 minutes and cut physician burnout by 81%. 

Erik also digs into CHG Healthcare's latest findings showing only 18% of physicians are highly engaged at work, and why leadership trust remains a key driver of satisfaction. 

Plus, get reflections from the recent CASCA conference panel on data utilization and challenging the "status quo" in surgery centers. If you're looking to improve physician engagement and operational efficiency heading into 2025, this episode is packed with actionable insights.

Links from the show:

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2842168

https://chghealthcare.com/blog/physicians-engaged-new-study

In this episode, host Erik sits down with Phil Sayles, CEO of Summate Technologies, to discuss a critical yet overlooked problem in healthcare: the analog documentation process for surgical implants.

Drawing on his 16 years as a device rep for Synthes, Phil explains why operating rooms still rely on pen, paper, and sticky notes to track millions of dollars in medical implants. From missing implant data in patient records to week long revenue cycles at ambulatory surgery centers, the current manual system is inefficient, error prone, and potentially unsafe.

Phil walks through Summate's Velocity solution, which automates surgical documentation at the point of use, eliminating data entry burdens on nurses, accelerating revenue cycles for ASCs, improving patient safety through FDA recall checks, and helping device manufacturers better manage their field inventory.

The conversation also tackles the cultural resistance to automation in healthcare, the parallels to retail's 20-year journey to adopt barcode scanning, and why this technology benefits every stakeholder, from patients and nurses to surgeons and device reps.

Whether you're in healthcare IT, surgery center operations, or medical device sales, this episode offers a fascinating look at how automation can finally solve the "final mile" problem in surgical care.

Links from the episode:

https://www.scanimplants.com/

https://www.summate.net/

We're three weeks into a government shutdown with no end in sight, and the healthcare industry is caught in the crossfire. Marc Ryan, Chief Solutions Officer at Lilac Software and author of The Healthcare Labyrinth, joins host Erik Sunset to break down what's really at stake as Democrats and Republicans dig in their heels over ACA subsidy extensions and healthcare cuts.

From the $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and exchanges in the "One Big Beautiful Bill" to the ongoing Medicare physician payment crisis, Marc explains why these aren't just Washington politics—they're existential threats to independent physicians, FQHCs, and patient access to care. Discover why Marc argues these are "dumb cuts" and what smarter alternatives like site-neutral payments could accomplish instead.

Plus: Are Trump's drug pricing deals too good to be true? Marc warns that Big Pharma may be hoodwinking the administration with cosmetic concessions while avoiding real price reform. And with Medicare Advantage in financial turmoil and benefits contracting for 2025-2026, what should consumers expect during this year's open enrollment?

If you want the unvarnished truth about what's happening in healthcare policy right now, this episode delivers.

See Marc's work at Lilac Software and at The Healthcare Labyrinth.

As always, be sure to follow DocBuddy on LinkedIn.

#governmentshutdown #healthcare #healthcarepodcast #healthITpodcast 

In this episode, we explore 2025's healthcare IT investment landscape and what it means for overwhelmed providers. Learn which technologies are getting funded, why workflow integration matters more than flashy features, and how to evaluate solutions that actually save time.

Special thanks to KLAS Research and Bain & Company for their report.

#HealthIT #HealthcarePodcast #HealthITPodcast

Join DocBuddy Journal hosts Erik Sunset and Kiera Helms as they dive into the real-world experience of implementing new healthcare technology in ambulatory surgery centers. Kiera, one of DocBuddy's account managers, shares stories from her recent field implementations, revealing how surgery centers are moving from legacy systems to modern solutions like Op Note.

Discover what it's really like on the ground from surgeon adoption to revenue cycle impacts that save facilities thousands in denied claims. Hear about the staffing challenges ASCs face, how administrators are jumping between roles, and why the healthcare technology landscape is finally shifting toward solutions that actually delight users.

Follow DocBuddy on LinkedIn

#ASC #ambulatorysurgery #surgerycenter #healthIT #healthITpodcast #healthcarepodcast

Join host Erik Sunset, DocBuddy's Chief Revenue Officer, as he sits down with Greg DeConciliis, Administrator of Boston Outpatient Surgical Suites, to explore the winning strategies behind one of New England's most successful ambulatory surgery centers. From humble beginnings in 2004 as a 3-OR facility to their upcoming expansion to an 8-OR, state-of-the-art center, Greg shares the blueprint for sustainable ASC growth.

Greg also pulls back the curtain on everything from managing surgeon preferences and turnover times to creating patient experiences that drive word-of-mouth referrals. Whether you're an ASC administrator, physician owner, or healthcare leader, this conversation offers practical, actionable insights for building a thriving surgery center.

Get more information and register for the upcoming MAASC Annual Conference

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn

Follow DocBuddy on LinkedIn

#ASC #surgerycenter #AI #healthcarepodcast #healthcareIT

All of us at DocBuddy wish you a happy National ASC Month!

In this episode, we covered resources to help you celebrate + advocate on behalf of your surgery center and the industry at large.  Visit our good friends at ASCA to get their resources and learn how you can participate in National Advocacy Day in Washington DC using this link.

We also discussed user feedback from a recent DocBuddy Op Note go live.  Finally, we shared where you can see DocBuddy in person through the month of September.

#ASCA #outpatientsurgery #ambulatorysurgery #surgerycenter #healthIT #healthITpodcast #healthcarepodcast.

ASCs are losing money every single day through poor block time utilization, but it doesn't have to be this way. In this episode, Erik Sunset, DocBuddy's Chief Revenue Officer and host of the DocBuddy Journal, breaks down the Becker's article that's got the industry talking about underutilized ORs, scheduling inefficiencies, and the anesthesia shortage crisis. Erik shares game changing strategies that are actionable to maximize your OR capacity, from analytics-driven scheduling to collaborative approaches with referring clinics. 2025 might be the year ASCs finally embrace meaningful technology solutions like DocBuddy's own solution in Op Note.

Take a look at the article here.

Follow DocBuddy on LinkedIn.

In this episode of the DocBuddy Journal, host Erik Sunset sits down with Jessica Bush, founder and CEO of Real Change RN, to explore what separates great healthcare leaders from managers.

Jessica shares powerful insights on building authentic relationships, establishing trust through vulnerability, and creating a culture where teams want to follow rather than just comply. Drawing from her personal experience as both a healthcare professional and a patient advocate for her daughter, she reveals the three critical questions team members ask about their leaders: Can you help me? Do you care about me? Can I trust you?

Connect with Jessica Bush on LinkedIn.

Follow DocBuddy on LinkedIn.

#ASC #Leadership #Culture

Join host Erik and Marc Ryan, Chief Solutions Officer of Lilac Software, as they dissect the latest congressional budget reconciliation drama and the "Big Beautiful Bill's" impact on healthcare. With razor-thin margins in both chambers, Republicans are pushing through nearly $1 trillion in healthcare cuts while Trump launches a drug pricing reform campaign. From Medicaid work requirements to Medicare physician payment fixes, discover what's really happening behind the political rhetoric.

Together, Erik and Marc break down the real impact of Congress's budget reconciliation battle while examining Trump's pivot on drug pricing reform. Is this dollars-and-cents budgeting or a stealth attack on healthcare coverage? Get the unvarnished truth about what's actually happening in Washington and what it means for patients, providers, and the future of American healthcare.

Connect with Marc Ryan on LinkedIn

Follow DocBuddy on LinkedIn

#healthcarepodcast #healthcareitpodcast