In an effort to strengthen its national presence, Jackson Surgical Assistants (JSA) recently merged with two Atlanta-area practices, Omni Surgical and Midtown Surgical Associates. The partnership aims to enhance JSA's ability to provide trained and credentialed surgical assistants to hospitals, focusing on cutting costs without compromising quality of care, according to the company.

"This is a tremendous opportunity," Paul Foster, JSA president, tells DOTmed News, adding that his company is pioneering the niche market of surgical assistants.

JSA's primary goal, explains Foster, is to become the "gold standard" in terms of surgical assistants staffing. He wants the company to contract its skilled and credentialed clinicians out to hospitals. The company is based in Atlanta.

"Atlanta is our home," he says. "We can really pilot some of our ideas and thoughts on running practices better."

Because surgical assistants are needed for one-third of all surgeries, according to the company, JSA's program will help implement the "best practices" for surgical assisting. To do this, explains Foster, JSA will offer hospitals the best of the best when it comes to surgical assistants, by verifying their credentials and providing proper training.

One thing that is appealing to practices is the fact that JSA guarantees at least a 15 percent reduction in line item expenses. In order for hospitals to qualify for maximum reimbursement they can outsource their surgical assistants, says Foster. In addition, JSA's solution benefits from having access to a larger pool of clinicians and a focused approach to service.

"Surgeons benefit from consistency in the clinicians they work with as well as reliable 24/7 coverage," he says. "Frankly, it's difficult for hospitals to get reimbursements unless [clinicians] are employed under a different entity," Foster says.

Omni Surgical looks forward to the partnership, Mike Mitchell, the company's president said in a statement. "Joining the Jackson Surgical Assistant team will really enhance our ability to provide services to Atlanta's operating rooms," he said.

Looking ahead, Foster is excited about professionalizing the surgical assistant field "in every sense of the word," he says.

He plans to improve the skills and give proper qualifications and credentials to clinicians to "make surgery safer, faster, better and cheaper." This will come through JSA's disciplined approach to recruitment, cross-training and performance review.

"For structural reasons, hospitals struggle to do this by themselves," he says.

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