Thomas Hutchinson, Administrator of the Surgery Center of Central Florida

Summary

Becker’s Healthcare Podcast – Episode Summary

Guest: Thomas Hutchinson, Administrator, Surgery Center of Central Florida
Host: Francesca Matthews (Becker's Healthcare)
Release Date: December 1, 2025
Episode Focus: Trends, challenges, and strategies in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) with a focus on cardiology, featuring growth strategies and insights on service expansion.

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Francesca Matthews talks with Thomas Hutchinson about current trends in healthcare affecting ambulatory surgery centers—especially those specializing in cardiology. Hutchinson shares his experience leading the Surgery Center of Central Florida, discusses the pressing issues facing ASCs, the excitement around new procedures, practical insights for expanding services, and the operational decisions driving growth in the next year.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Thomas Hutchinson’s Professional Background

• [01:11]
  • Hutchinson has worked at the Surgery Center of Central Florida for nearly four years, taking over as administrator after experience in the hospital’s operating room, cath lab, radiology management, and cardiology practice management.

2. Top Trends in Healthcare and ASCs

• [01:56] Hutchinson identifies three major trends:

  • Electrophysiology (EP) Ablations in ASCs:
    • Growing interest in performing these advanced cardiac procedures in outpatient surgery centers.
  • Impact of Government Policy and Medicare Rules:
    • Uncertainty around reimbursement due to pending rules and possible government shutdowns.
  • Staffing Challenges:
    • Difficulty in attracting and retaining qualified staff as ASCs compete with hospitals for talent.

  Quote:

  “One of the big trends … is EP ablations. … Another kind of nerve-wracking one is the government shutdown … and then … the trend of staffing, trying to compete with hospitals and get good staff in the doors and keep good staff.”
  – Thomas Hutchinson [01:56]

3. Excitement About EP Ablations in the Outpatient Setting

• [03:02]

  • Hutchinson is most enthusiastic about being able to offer EP ablations at his ASC, citing struggles with contracting private payers and drawing on examples from Arizona and Alaska where progress was made during COVID-19 via the “hospital without walls” policy.
  • Medicare’s allowance for these procedures in outpatient settings is seen as a huge advantage for both patients and hospitals.

  Quote:

  “With Medicare being able to allow us to do those ablations in the outpatient setting, I think that’s a huge advantage to our cardiology patients and … it will take some of the workload off the hospital a little bit.”
  – Thomas Hutchinson [03:38]

4. Planned Growth Strategies (Next 12 Months)

• [04:07]

  • Physician Recruitment: Adding cardiologists and locum tenens (temporary physicians) to expand procedure offerings.
  • Service Line Expansion: Planning to introduce vascular surgery, requiring both recruiting vascular surgeons and ensuring coverage via locums.
  • Facility Expansion: Increasing physical capacity by adding 10 more pre- and post-op bays to accommodate higher patient volume.

  Quote:

  “Our ASC … has three operating rooms and … eight pre and post op days. We're looking to add … another 10 patient bays …”
  – Thomas Hutchinson [04:51]

5. Advice for ASCs Adding New Procedures

• [05:37]

  • Emphasizes comprehensive financial projections (pro formas) before launching new services, especially when reimbursement rates are uncertain.
  • Critical to understand device costs, disposable and supply expenses, capital equipment needs, staffing and fixed costs.
  • Admits that launching new EP ablation services now is partially a leap of faith due to unknown Medicare reimbursement.

  Quote:

  “The biggest thing is to know where you stand, what your capital costs are going to be, your disposable costs, your staff costs, your fixed cost, and just do a good, in depth pro forma … So you have the, you know, you only have one variable, the reimbursement right now.”
  – Thomas Hutchinson [06:05]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Service Expansion Risks:

  “We kind of took a leap of faith and we’re prepared for it for January 1st, but we still don’t have any hard numbers, what Medicare is going to reimburse us on these EP ablations.”
  – Thomas Hutchinson [05:54]

• Strategic Outlook:

  “We’re looking at possibly bringing on locums EP, also physical growth … our ASC is … looking to add on another 10 patient bays for pre and post op.”
  – Thomas Hutchinson [04:38]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:11] – Thomas Hutchinson’s background
• [01:56] – Top three trends in healthcare and ASCs
• [03:02] – Excitement for outpatient EP ablations, Medicare rules, and benefits
• [04:07] – Planned growth, physician recruitment, facility expansion
• [05:37] – Advice for other ASC leaders: pro forma financial analysis
• [06:05] – Uncertainty regarding Medicare reimbursement

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Summary Takeaway

Thomas Hutchinson provides an insider’s perspective on the evolving cardiology ASC landscape—highlighting new reimbursement opportunities for advanced cardiac procedures, wisdom in methodical business planning, and persistent staffing and regulatory challenges. For ASC leaders considering expansion, his advice underscores the importance of thorough preparation and bold yet calculated risk-taking, especially amid ongoing change in healthcare policy and practice.

Transcript

[A]

Today's clinical providers and healthcare systems need a strategic partner that is focused on the evolution of healthcare delivery. At Surgery Partners, we are redefining the healthcare industry. As a nation's leading independent operator of surgical facilities and ancillary services with an extensive presence spanning over 180 locations nationwide. Our commitment extends beyond healthcare. It's about fostering successful partnerships that enhance the quality of care in the communities we serve. Surgery Partners is more than an operator or service provider. We are your strategic ally, committed to transforming healthcare delivery. Learn [e-mail].

[B]

Hello, this is Francesca Matthews with the Beckers ASC Review Podcast. I'm thrilled to be joined today by Thomas Hutchinson, administrator of the Surgery center of Central Florida. Thank you so much for being here today.

[C]

Yeah, thanks for having me.

[B]

Absolutely. To start us off here, could you please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your background?

[C]

Yeah. So my name is Tom Hutchinson. I work at Surgery Center Central Florida here in Ocala, Florida. I've been here for almost four years. I've been with the company about the same time frame. I actually came from open heart CVOR in the hospital, did a short stent in the cath lab and then came over to the cardiology practice. I was the radiology manager for a little while and then the director of the ASC left and I took over from there.

[B]

Right, excellent. Excited to take it to the discussion today to kind of start broadly, what are the top three trends that you're following in healthcare and ASCS today?

[C]

Well, I mean, we're, we're primarily a cardiology asc. So one of the big trends that everybody in cardiology or has anything to do with cardiology is looking at for ASCs is EP ablations. That's, that's probably our number one topic right now in our industry. I think one of the other kind of nerve wracking ones is the, the government shutdown and how that might affect us waiting for the new Medicare rules to come out. And then third, I think a lot of people are struggling with the trend of staffing, trying to compete with hospitals and get good staff in the doors and keep good staff.

[B]

And that keeping good staff component, I know, is really crucial there. And then. Yeah. Also we're also waiting to see what else CMS says over here at Becker's since a few of those rules haven't been released yet. But what are you most excited about right now in healthcare? ASCs? Cardiology? All of it.

[C]

The EP ablations. That's a big one. We've Been pushing for that for a while. We, we're trying to contract with private payers and our practice has just kind of struggled with it. I know there are some other ones that, that have had a little more success on that side of it. I know. Like in Arizona, there's a couple places that got like the hospital without walls during COVID and they were able to hold on to it. And, and Alaska's kind of been able to do it, I think, just more so because of their ruralness, you would say. But that's at least, that's the impression I get. But yeah, so with Medicare being able to allow us to do those ablations in the, in the outpatient setting, I think that's a huge advantage to our cardiology patients and, and it will take some of the workload off the hospital a little bit.

[B]

Yeah, definitely. I've definitely heard similar things from other, like, outpatient cardiology leaders that, that we talk to over every day over here at Becker's. So, yeah, definitely, just like echo that sentiment. How are you thinking about growth over the next 12 months?

[C]

Well, we've actually added a couple physicians to our practice here in the asc and we're also looking at adding maybe a couple locums. We're looking at bringing some vascular surgery into our asc, so that'll be something new for us. We are looking at a couple, couple procedures that require vascular surgeons. We don't have any right now, so we'll have to. We're looking at locums for that. And then of course, with the EP stuff, you know, we want to do as much business as we can in that space. So we're looking at possibly bringing on locum zp, also physical growth. We're actually. Our ASC is, we have three operating rooms and we only have eight pre and post op days. And we're looking to add on to our pre and post op. So our growth there physically, we need to grow our building and we're going to add on another 10 patient bays for pre and post op.

[B]

Awesome. That's exciting. I. You kind of have touched on this already, but just wanted to follow up a little bit here just because you're in a pretty unique position given, you know, the newness of some of these procedures in the outpatient setting and being in a kind of position of growth. I'm curious if you were talking to which, you know, we kind of are to another cardiology ASC leader who's, or even just an ASC leader looking to maybe add some of these services. What would you say is like, the most important thing to kind of look at first before adding some of these procedures and services?

[C]

I mean, I think you're pro forma on, you know, device cost, what, what the vendors are going to charge you for, you know, capital equipment, the disposables, all that stuff. I mean, you got. I think the biggest thing all of us are facing right now, even us, we kind of took a leap of faith and we're prepared for it for January 1st, but we still don't have any hard numbers, what Medicare is going to reimburse us on these EP ablations. So to add this whole service line, we're. We're going off of projections. But I think the biggest thing is to know where you stand, what, what your capital costs are going to be, your disposable costs, your staff costs, your fixed cost, and just do a good, in depth pro forma. So you have the, you know, you only have one variable, the reimbursement right now.

[B]

Mm, that makes sense for sure.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I don't have anything else for you today, actually, Thomas, so thank you so much for joining us.

[C]

Yeah, thank you. Glad to be here.

[B]

Yeah. It's been a pleasure speaking with you, and I look forward to connecting with you again in the future.

[C]

Yes, I look forward to it. Thank you.

[B]

Yes. Thank you. Have a good rest of your day.

[C]

All right, you too.