Becker’s Healthcare Podcast: Emma Gimmel, Director of Nursing at Manhattan Endoscopy Center

Date: August 17, 2025
Host: Laura Dardo
Guest: Emma Gimmel, Director of Nursing, Manhattan Endoscopy Center

Episode Overview

This episode features Emma Gimmel, Director of Nursing at Manhattan Endoscopy Center, discussing the latest developments and trends in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), the evolution and future of endoscopy services, and how centers like hers are adapting to shifting industry and patient care demands. The conversation centers on diversification, growth, regulatory changes, and the critical ongoing role of ASCs in delivering high-value outpatient care.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction and Background

• Emma’s Experience & Role (00:16 – 01:13):
  • Emma introduces herself, highlighting five years as Director of Nursing at Manhattan Endoscopy Center, recent integration into a larger corporation (SCA), and her administrative history in hospital and ASC settings.
  • Quote:
    “We became part of sca, a much larger corporation, and also remaining trying to individualize our care for our community.”
    — Emma Gimmel (00:39)

Major Trends in Healthcare & ASCs

• Growth of ASCs Nationwide (01:28 – 03:00):

  • Emma outlines the explosive growth of ambulatory surgery centers: from 5,000 ASCs in 2010 to over 11,000 today.
  • Expansion is benefiting a wide range of specialties beyond GI, with increased focus on patient safety and criteria.
  • Quote:
    “In 2010 there were about 5,000 ASCs in the United States and right now we're like over 11,000. So it's great growth and also the benefits that provide to the general population not only in GI but in all specialties.”
    — Emma Gimmel (01:39)

• Diversification Beyond GI (02:40 – 04:10):

  • GI remains a core specialty, but Emma’s center is preparing to add non-invasive vein procedures — a significant step requiring adaptation but seen as both challenging and exciting.
  • Bringing in new specialties requires rigorous preparation: consulting experts, ensuring compliance, and modifying both the physical environment and standards.
  • Quote:
    “Bringing more services, providing for more specialties and increasing or within control our [acuity]. I think those are the three main things that I'm looking ahead.”
    — Emma Gimmel (03:40)

Preparing for New Specialties

• Operational & Compliance Considerations (04:11 – 05:25):

  • Adding new specialties demands certifying need, altering protocols, and ensuring the environment is ready—both physically and in terms of standards.

  • Quote:
    “It is a lot of preparation... preparing the terrain, preparing the environment... but it's worth it, not only because expands our services but also because it prepares us for better and more.”
    — Emma Gimmel (04:32)

Anticipating Federal and Industry Changes

• Federal Policy & Reimbursement Updates (05:35 – 07:00):

  • Emma is monitoring federal changes, notably the 2025 outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) updates, with a modest 2.9% increase and new approvals for previously inpatient-only procedures.

  • Resilience in the industry has positioned ASCs to adapt and play a collaborative (not competitive) role alongside hospitals.

  • Quote:
    “We have created resilience in the industry of ambulatory and we should be able to add more in order to provide better in the whole spectrum of ambulatory care—not in competition but in actually association or in collaboration with the hospitals.”
    — Emma Gimmel (06:20)

The Role of ASCs in Healthcare’s Future

• High-Value, Outpatient Care (07:04 – 07:45):

  • The conversation highlights the increasingly prominent role of surgery and endoscopy centers in offering cost-effective, high-value care as more procedures migrate to outpatient settings.

  • Quote:
    “Part of the solution. And that's what the perspective will become, part of the solution... it's a fascinating world to remain in ambulatory.”
    — Emma Gimmel (07:24)

Growth Strategy and Community Focus

• Adapting to Market and Community Needs (07:45 – 10:25):

  • Emma describes a cautious but optimistic approach to expansion, focusing on affordability, competitive edge, and customizing care to distinct community needs.

  • The ASC sector isn’t a “cookie cutter;” patient demographics and health needs differ, and services must be tailored accordingly.

  • Anticipated industry changes include potential impacts of increased U.S.-based manufacturing for medical supplies.

  • Safety, innovation, and offering “more for less” remain core guiding principles.

  • Quote:
    “We remain competitive, we remain applicable to the communities, not all cookie cutters. There are differences and we need to attend to those differences because the communities do deserve that attention.”
    — Emma Gimmel (08:38)

  • Quote: “These are among the things that I'm looking forward to see—hopefully everything to congruently work. So we remain in business and also... the best option for... more accurately procedures and for the care of our communities.”
    — Emma Gimmel (10:08)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Industry Growth:
  “...Great growth and also the benefits that provide to the general population not only in GI but in all specialties.”
  — Emma Gimmel (01:39)

• On Preparing for Diversification:
  “It is a lot of preparation... but it's worth it... because it prepares us for better and more.”
  — Emma Gimmel (04:32)

• On Collaboration with Hospitals:
  “Not in competition but in actually association or in collaboration with the hospitals. So we can be part of the solution of healthcare as a need in our nation.”
  — Emma Gimmel (06:28)

• On Community and Customization:
  “Not all cookie cutters. There are differences and we need to attend to those differences because the communities do deserve that attention.”
  — Emma Gimmel (08:38)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:33 — Emma Gimmel’s background and Manhattan Endoscopy Center’s journey
• 01:28 — Major trends transforming ASCs: growth and diversification
• 04:32 — Operational steps to add new specialties
• 05:35 — Upcoming federal payment and regulatory changes impacting ASCs
• 07:24 — The evolving role of ASCs in U.S. healthcare as high-value, low-cost providers
• 08:00-10:25 — Outlook on growth, community focus, and the impact of industry changes

Episode Takeaways

Emma Gimmel articulates a vision for ASCs centered on agility, service diversification, close community ties, and a collaborative (rather than competitive) stance with traditional hospitals. She underscores the pivotal role outpatient centers have in healthcare transformation by providing more accessible, patient-focused, and financially sustainable care. The discussion emphasizes the broader trend of innovation and expansion in the ambulatory surgery sector, highlighting both the exciting opportunities and the operational complexity of growth and diversification.