Achieving Full Integration for the Patient Journey

The Center for Spine Surgery went fully paperless, streamlining case coordination, documentation, billing, and reporting.

Launched in 2023 and fully digital from the start:

850+ spine procedures completed
100% electronic charting adoption
100% chart completion and op notes completed same-day
Real-time vendor and staff coordination

# of Centers: 1

# of ORs: 4

Featured Solutions: Electronic Charting

Specialties: Spine

State(s): DE

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The Challenge

The Center for Spine Surgery in Wilmington, DE, transitioned from a hospital-owned ASC to a privately owned, physician-partnered facility in 2023. As a high-volume, single-specialty center performing over 850 spine cases in its first year, the team needed an integrated technology solution that could handle clinical documentation, scheduling, billing, and coordination—all while supporting a lean staff and strict patient safety standards. Administrator Judy Townsley, coming from a large hospital background, initially struggled to find a system that was both robust and intuitive. With limited options in the ASC space, the team needed a platform that would not only meet regulatory and clinical documentation needs but also streamline business operations from day one.

The Solution

After consulting with industry experts and vetting multiple vendors, the team chose HST Pathways for its breadth of features and ASC-specific design. They implemented schedule and care coordination and practice management tools at launch, adding electronic charting a few weeks later to go fully paperless. Over time, the team refined their workflows and customized forms within HST, designing a seamless, all-digital experience across pre-op, OR, and post-op care. Staff, vendors, and even surgeons were brought into the digital loop, leveraging features like real-time chart updates, preference cards, patient texting, and secure implant tracking. HST’s interoperability quickly became the backbone of their clinical and operational processes.

Now that I’ve seen the entire platform work together, you’ve got yourself a convert. I see the beauty of electronic documentation and how you can actually manage your entire business having HST.

– Judy Townsley, Administrator

The Results

The ASC is now fully electronic, with every step—from patient scheduling to post-op documentation—managed through HST. The team uses electronic charting and document central to eliminate paper trails and ensure real-time access to surgical records. Physicians engage more proactively, with 100% of physicians completing op notes before leaving the building. Operations staff use HST’s reporting tools to run real-time analytics on case costs, procedure times, and outcomes without waiting on IT or report writers. Their workflow efficiency, patient safety, and financial transparency have significantly improved, and staff regularly aim for 100% chart completion before closeout. As Judy shared, this level of integration wasn’t obvious at first—but it’s now the core of how they operate.

Coming from the hospital world, running a report used to mean calling IT. With HST, I sat down for 30 minutes and built a full report on case times, costs, and discharge metrics—on my own.

– Judy Townsley, Administrator

The Future

The team is focused on refining its existing digital processes and plans to expand its use of HST’s financial features. With strong buy-in from physicians and leadership, the ASC will continue to leverage HST to support growth and deeper operational insights. Judy noted how the ability to self-run reports and share them with surgeons has elevated both engagement and accountability. Moving forward, their goal is not just to maintain a fully electronic environment, but to enhance how they use data to drive decisions and improve outcomes. With HST as a committed partner, they feel confident that the technology will evolve alongside their needs.