Health systems are sharpening their focus on ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) as the outpatient sector becomes central to care delivery, network expansion and revenue growth.
That’s the conclusion of Colliers’ recently released U.S. Healthcare Services Report, which highlights ASCs as a critical lever for systems navigating aging demographics, shifting care preferences and rising costs.
Colliers is a global commercial real estate and advisory firm.
“The outpatient sector is forecasted to grow significantly over the next decade as the aging population requires more frequent and complex care, and outpatient expansion into new geographies and service areas continues,” the report explains. “Outpatient care offers new growth opportunities through partnership and acquisition for some national and regional systems.”
In addition to ASCs, types of facilities grouped into the outpatient category include primary care clinics, urgent care clinics, imaging centers, outpatient rehab centers, dialysis centers and more.
Much of the projected outpatient growth is being driven by the aging Baby Boomer population, which is accelerating demand for orthopedic, spine and oncology services. Orthopedic outpatient revenue growth is expected to surge 32% by 2033, far outpacing the 5% projected for inpatient orthopedic revenue, according to the report.
“Outpatient facilities can have the additional advantage of being closer to patient populations, while hospitals are typically in the center of a region,” the report reads. “Patients who find these outpatient locations much more convenient are likely to use them frequently after positive experiences.”
Meanwhile, spine outpatient demand is projected to grow 17% from 2023 to 2028, according to Colliers.
Cardiology is similarly projected to grow 14% during that same period.
“While orthopedics has already managed this shift for quite some time, an increasing number of spine procedures have recently moved to outpatient settings as technology and facilities improve,” the report states.
For the ASC industry, the implications of these growth projections are already visible.
In 2024, United Surgical Partners International (USPI) — Tenet Healthcare’s (NYSE: THC) ASC platform — grew by 17%, adding 70 new centers and driving platform-wide gains, the report points out.
And health systems are doubling down on their ASC strategies.
In June, Ascension revealed plans to acquire AMSURG, with Bloomberg reporting the deal value to be in the $3.9 billion range.
“The potential revenue growth of outpatient services, specifically ASCs, has led to major M&A activity in national health systems,” the Colliers report emphasizes.
