Bon Secours Mercy Health, Compass Surgical Partners and AlignedCardio have announced plans to open a cardiovascular ambulatory surgery center (ASC) in the Short Pump area of Henrico, Virginia. Driven by technological advancements and data demonstrating safety, cardiovascular procedures are increasingly being performed in ASCs. The new facility, Short Pump Cardiovascular Ambulatory Surgery Center, is set to open in late 2025. The 8,000-square-foot center will offer a range of procedures, … [Read more...]
Total Joint Procedures and Robotics Could Fuel Orthopedic ASCs, But Cost Challenges Loom
Looking ahead, 2025 may be the year of the outpatient orthopedic surgery center. That’s according to Jon Van Valkenburg, executive director of Upstate Orthopedics Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) in East Syracuse, New York, who spoke to the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) for their podcast. In 2024, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) added total shoulder arthroplasties to its approved procedures list for ASCs. That, in turn, created opportunities for … [Read more...]
ASC Leader Joins White House Meeting on Patient Safety, Workforce Wellness
Last month, the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) President Mark Wainner was invited to the White House to participate in a summit focused on improving patient and workforce safety across the U.S. health care system. The event included senior health care officials, leaders of 22 national health care organizations, including ASCA, and representatives from 16 major hospital systems. It marked a first-of-its-kind meeting at the White House, providing ASCA the opportunity to engage … [Read more...]
Essentia Health Partners with Brightside Surgical to Expand Surgical Services in North Dakota
Essentia Health has joined forces with Brightside Surgical, an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) in Bismarck, North Dakota, to co-own the facility. Brightside offers a variety of specialties, from obstetrics to podiatry to general surgery. The partnership aims to enhance access to outpatient surgical care for patients in the Bismarck-Mandan area, Dr. Stefanie Gefroh, interim president of Essentia Health’s West Market, told ASC News in an email. “This joint venture solidifies existing … [Read more...]
ASC Quality Collaboration Launches Streamlined Tool to Help ASCs Meet CMS Standards, Improve Care
As it becomes more evident that ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are both cost-effective and preferred by most patients, operators are left to prove that the outpatient setting is just as safe as a hospital. For example, cardiovascular procedures began shifting into the outpatient setting in 2020, when percutaneous interventions (PCIs) were added to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) covered procedure list. The inclusion happened only after cardiologists banded … [Read more...]
Study: CON Laws Stifle ASC Growth, Raise Health Care Costs and Limit Access
Certificate of need (CON) laws significantly limit the growth of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), increasing health care costs and reducing access to care. That’s according to a recently published study commissioned by conservative think tank The Cato Institute. The research found that repealing ASC-specific CON laws led to a 44% to 47% statewide increase in the number of ASCs per capita. Rural communities saw even more dramatic growth, with ASCs increasing by 92% to 112% per capita, … [Read more...]
Citing Affordability and Patient Satisfaction, ASC Stakeholders Keep Pushing for CMS Cardiovascular Codes
There is a growing movement in the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) industry to include more cardiovascular codes in the Covered Procedures List (CPL). ASCs have been positioned to transform cardiovascular care in the U.S. since the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) added percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) to its covered procedure list in 2020. What’s more, cardiovascular procedures in ASCs are becoming more and more common due to technological advancements, … [Read more...]
‘Not Being Forced to Compete on Hospital Terms’: Transparent Pricing Gives Ambulatory Surgery Centers a Leg Up
Over the past decade, Oklahoma City has seen an influx of visitors from out-of-state, and it’s not just for the National Cowboy Museum. The city is home to health care’s new frontier, according to Dr. Keith Smith of the Surgery Center of Oklahoma (SCO). “A $3,000 procedure at my facility is a $30,000 procedure in Miami, Idaho or California,” Smith told ASC News. SCO, co-founded by Smith, is one of the first ASCs in the U.S. to embrace fixed, transparent pricing. His facility offers a … [Read more...]
‘A Monumental Shift’: Under-the-Radar OIG Opinion Could Redefine Profit-Sharing Models for ASCs
For years, the general rule was that ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) couldn't share their revenue or profits with physicians, unless those individuals had a stake in the surgery center. But that relatively black-and-white rule may be turning a shade of gray. An under-the-radar opinion from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) issued in October 2023 challenged this long-standing practice regarding profit distribution. While the opinion applies … [Read more...]
How the Fed’s Interest Rate Cut Could Impact ASC Operators, Health Care M&A
The Federal Reserve’s recent decision to cut interest rates by half a percentage point marks a shift in monetary policy, signaling that inflation is cooling and that the central bank may now be focused on keeping the labor market stable. In turn, that could mean there’s more ambulatory surgery center (ASC) transaction activity on the horizon. “We’re trying to achieve a situation where we restore price stability without the kind of painful increase in unemployment that has come sometimes … [Read more...]