Becker’s Healthcare -- Spine and Orthopedic Podcast
Kathleen Hickman, RN, BSN, MS, CASC, Administrator and Clinical Director of Dutchess Ambulatory Surgical Center
17 Nov 2025
In this episode, Kathleen Hickman, RN, BSN, MS, CASC, Administrator and Clinical Director of Dutchess Ambulatory Surgical Center, shares insights on ASC growth through higher acuity cases, the impact of new CMS codes, and how innovation and culture are shaping the future of surgical care.
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Chapter 2: What is the background of Kathleen Hickman in the ASC industry?
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Hello, this is Francesca Matthews with the Becker's ASC Review Podcast. I'm thrilled to be joined today by Kathleen Hickman, Administrator and Clinical Director of the Dutchess Ambulatory Surgical Center. Thank you so much for being here today.
Well, thank you for having me. It's my pleasure.
Yeah, of course. To start us off, could you please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your background?
Yes, of course. So I am Kathy Hickman. I go by Kathy. Kathleen is my formal name, but yes, I'm part of the ASC industry and proudly I have been working at my center for 25 years this year. I do serve as the administrator. I do now have a clinical director, so I don't have to use that role as much, but my background is nursing.
So I am a nurse by trade and I also work part-time as a nurse with my company because I think it's important to be part of that. So I have a master's in healthcare administration, as well as my bachelor's in nursing, and I am CASC certified, and I just love the ASC industry.
Hey, excellent. And we'll just jump into some questions here. To start off kind of broadly, what are the top three trends that you're following in healthcare and ASCs today? Okay.
Well, there are so many trends. I guess if I had to think about what I'm most interested in or thinking about is one, consolidation, number two, AI, and number three, moving higher acuity cases to our settings. Those are my three top trends I'm following.
And what are you most excited about right now?
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