Best Practices for Surgery Center Workflow Efficiency
Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and specialty surgical clinics are designed to run like clockwork. Every operating room (OR) slot is scheduled with precision. Surgical teams move swiftly and in sync. The expectation is that every minute counts – because it does. But the reality? Things go wrong all the time.
It only takes one missed prep or a no-show to throw off the entire day. A patient forgets to stop their medication, another shows up late or not at all. A lab result doesn’t arrive. A consent form is missing. The ripple effects are immediate: delays, cancellations, frustrated staff, and lost revenue.
Let’s take a closer look at the everyday breakdowns, and what surgery centers can do to run more efficiently and recover that lost time.
When Surgeries Don’t Run, Revenue Doesn’t Flow
Every surgery slot represents more than just clinical care – it’s also a business asset. Unused OR time means sunk costs. If a patient cancels at the last minute or fails to show, it’s not just a gap in the schedule. It’s a loss across the board:
- The room sits empty
- The staff goes underutilized
- Other patients who could have taken the slot are out of luck
- Surgeons lose productivity, and revenue goals slip
One administrator summed it up perfectly: “Last-minute cancellations kill our momentum, and our margins.”
Even a single lost case can throw off the day’s rhythm. Now multiply that across multiple ORs, multiple days a week, and the losses compound quickly.
Pre-Op Paperwork: The Hidden Time Drain
The pre-op process is full of paperwork, and none of it is optional. Patients need to submit consents, medical clearances, labs, imaging, and insurance authorizations. Staff are responsible for collecting it, reviewing it, and making sure nothing slips through the cracks.
That’s easier said than done. Many surgery center teams spend hours each day tracking down missing documents. They call clinics, fax forms, leave voicemails, and chase patients who don’t understand what’s needed.
If even one key piece is missing on the day of surgery, the case may be delayed or canceled altogether.
As one clinic leader put it: “Our team spends hours tracking down the basics. There’s no good way to stay ahead.”
Patient Prep Confusion: A Common, Costly Mistake
Even when instructions are crystal clear, patients can get confused or overwhelmed. Between medication changes, fasting (NPO) guidelines, arrival times, and last-minute updates, it’s easy for someone to miss a step.
And when they do? The surgery might be called off.
One nurse explained: “Patients get confused about being NPO or stopping meds, and we’re left with same-day cancellations.”
These aren’t just frustrating moments. They’re operational failures. And they often stem from the same root problem: inconsistent communication and unclear workflows.
Referral Drop-Offs: Where Patients Disappear
Many ASCs rely on a steady stream of referrals from PCPs, orthopedists, ENTs, GI specialists, and others. But referrals don’t always lead to procedures. From referral received, intake completed, clearance obtained, through to a scheduled appointment, without a clear system to track patients through this funnel, many patients fall through the cracks.
That’s not just missed revenue. It’s also a hit to your reputation with referring providers who expect their patients to receive timely care.
One administrator said it plainly: “We don’t know who’s in the pipeline, who’s been scheduled, or who’s just… gone.”
Communication Breakdowns Across the Ecosystem
Coordination in surgical settings involves many players: the clinic, the surgery center, anesthesiology, labs, referring providers, and, of course, the patient. Yet many centers still rely on outdated communication tools like fax, email, and voicemail.
That disjointed system leads to:
- Mismatched instructions between the clinic and the surgery center
- Delays caused by missing or incorrect records
- Repetitive paperwork due to incomplete data transfer
A center director put it this way: “It’s hard to keep everyone aligned, especially across clinics, surgery centers, and referral sources.”
Without centralized communication, things fall apart quickly.
Scheduling: A High-Stakes Puzzle
Booking a surgery isn’t as simple as putting a name on a calendar. There are multiple moving parts to align:
- The patient needs to be medically cleared and prepped
- The OR, anesthesia team, and equipment must be available
- Insurance needs to be verified
- All documentation must be in order
When even one piece is missing, the whole plan can unravel. Many surgery centers rely on spreadsheets or manual systems to manage this complexity. But as the volume grows or as they expand to more surgeons or sites, these systems struggle to keep up.
When Growth Outpaces Infrastructure
Growth is a good thing until your processes can’t handle it. As ASCs add more providers, acquire more locations, or expand their services, their old systems start to buckle.
Without consistent processes across sites, it becomes hard to track patient readiness, referral follow-through, and scheduling accuracy.
One clinical coordinator shared: “It’s tough to keep our patient intake consistent when we’re managing so many doctors and locations.”
Scaling up operations without scalable systems often leads to burnout and inefficiency.
Three High-Impact Fixes You Can Implement Now
You don’t need a massive overhaul to make a difference. Here are three practical ways to build momentum—without derailing daily operations.
1. Automate pre-op workflows
Technology can handle the reminders, document tracking, and clearance checks that currently fall on your staff. Use digital tools to:
- Alert patients about missing forms or prep steps
- Confirm insurance and medical clearance in advance
- Notify staff early when something is incomplete
With automation in place, surprises at 6 a.m. become much less common.
2. Introduce a Smart Waitlist
Instead of leaving last-minute cancellations as dead space in the OR schedule, use a smart waitlist to notify patients who are prepped and ready. Send out a text or email offer for the open slot and let them confirm electronically. This reduces manual scheduling work and keeps ORs productive.
3. Track referrals in one central system
Implement a solution that flags where each referral stands, from received referral to in intake to scheduled and then completed. This helps prevent drop-offs and improves communication with referring clinics. When everyone sees the same status in real-time, follow-up becomes much easier.
Making the Day Smoother, One Step at a Time
Running a surgical clinic or ASC will always be complex. But it doesn’t have to feel chaotic.
By addressing a few key breakdown points like prep communication, scheduling coordination, and referral tracking, you can make measurable improvements. The benefits are real: more procedures completed, fewer day-of disruptions, less staff stress, and better patient experiences.
Your OR schedule doesn’t have to feel like a juggling act. With the right tools and a few strategic changes, you can bring calm to the chaos and keep patients, staff, and your bottom line on track.
Want to see how your surgery center could benefit from smarter workflows and more connected patient experiences? Schedule a personalized demo with the Luma Health team to explore how our platform can help you streamline operations, reduce no-shows, and support your patients every step of the way.