Atlas Healthcare Partners and MedAxiom on Wednesday announced an expansion of their MedAtlas CV joint venture.
In doing so, the pair are doubling down on their focus on providing cardiovascular care within ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs).
This partnership combines Atlas’ experience in ASC development and management with MedAxiom’s expertise in cardiovascular care, Aric Burke, president and CEO of Atlas, and Joe Sasson, chief commercial officer and senior vice president of Ventures at MedAxiom, told Ambulatory Surgery Center News.
“Our model not only addresses current trends but also positions us to lead the future of cardiovascular care,” Burke said. “By integrating hospitals, physicians, and advanced technology, we’re creating a sustainable ecosystem that benefits all stakeholders.”
The expanded partnership, which builds on the initial launch of MedAtlas CV in 2022, integrates MedAxiom more deeply into Atlas’ operations, Sasson said.
MedAxiom will now provide leadership in clinical and operational management for cardiovascular ASCs. Additionally, MedAtlas CV will broaden its services to include corporate development support, staff training, co-management resources, and educational tools such as webinars and peer review programs.
Atlas’ ASC cardiovascular portfolio is growing rapidly.
“In 2024, we operated three cardiovascular ASCs in partnership with Banner Health. In 2025, we’re adding two more: one in Phoenix with Banner University Medical Group and another in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with Corewell Health,” Burke said. “This brings our total to five dedicated cardiovascular centers, with more in development.”
Established in 2018, Atlas specializes in developing and managing ASCs in collaboration with not-for-profit health systems and physicians. The company has significantly expanded ASC networks in recent years for partners like Banner Health while forming joint ventures with major health systems across the U.S., including Corewell Health, MultiCare and ChristianaCare.
“MedAxiom evaluated the entire ASC landscape and determined that Atlas had the best approach to empowering physician partners and engaging health systems,” Sasson said.
MedAxiom is a subsidiary of the American College of Cardiology and a provider of performance solutions for cardiovascular organizations.
“MedAxiom has over 570 member practices today in our portfolio, about 90% of which are integrated with a hospital or health system,” Sasson said. “So, for us to best serve our members, we want to have an approach that is complementary to hospitals and health systems, as well as the ability to work with private and independent practices – not exclusively one or the other, but looking at both.”
A differentiated approach to ASC development
When asked what drew MedAxiom to Atlas, Sasson pointed to Atlas’ inclusive strategy.
“Atlas’ approach brings hospitals, physicians and management companies together, making health systems a key part of the strategy rather than sidelining them,” he said. “That collaborative model was a significant differentiator for us.”
Burke echoed Sasson’s sentiment.
“Our partnerships with health systems, combined with MedAxiom’s membership model, ensure that we are aligned with both large and independent practices,” Burke said. “This alignment allows us to deliver solutions that meet diverse needs across the cardiovascular care continuum.”
While regulatory and operational challenges are key barriers to cardiovascular expansion in the outpatient setting, Burke said he sees some of those challenges diminishing in the next three to five years.
“State-level restrictions, such as Certificate of Need (CON) requirements, can limit the types of procedures allowed in ASCs,” he said. “Additionally, the high fixed costs of cardiovascular ASCs mean that sufficient patient volume is essential to ensure financial viability.”
However, once these hurdles are addressed, the potential for growth is immense, both executives said.
“Heart ablations for electrophysiological disorders like arrhythmias and atrial fibrillation are being adopted more and more under private payer contracts,” Sasson said. “Hopefully, those will be reimbursed by CMS (the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) and others, starting in ’26 or maybe ’27. We hope for ’26.”
Once sufficient efficacy data is available, CMS will grant approvals and establish reimbursement rates for these procedures, Sasson added.
“I think it’s going to be just a series of these procedures coming down the pike,” he said. “And I think the prime example everybody’s looking at today is ablations.”
