Community Health Systems (NYSE: CYH) CEO Tim Hingtgen will retire at the end of September, marking a major leadership transition at one of the nation’s largest health care operators – and a key player in the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) space. President and CFO Kevin Hammons will succeed Hingtgen, who cited personal reasons for stepping down after 17 years with the company. “I'll be here until the end of September to support a seamless transition,” Hingtgen said during the company’s … [Read more...]
Employment Attorney Urges ASCs to Stay Engaged with Staff, Watch for Legal Risks
When a client came to Salvatore Puccio, partner at health care law firm Garfunkel Wild, with concerns about a struggling employee, he didn’t recommend immediate termination. Instead, Puccio advised weekly check-ins. Before long, those meetings revealed deeper issues. “Those weekly check-ins turned up more and more problems that we didn't even know existed,” Puccio said on a recent episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast from the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA). It’s … [Read more...]
Tenet CEO Saum Sutaria: CMS Enabling ASC Innovation Will Be Big Positive for USPI
Recently proposed changes from federal regulators have ambulatory surgery center (ASC) executives feeling good about 2026. Tenet Healthcare Corp. (NYSE: THC) leaders said on Tuesday that proposed federal changes to the Medicare Inpatient Only (IPO) list could further strengthen the company’s ASC business, particularly in higher-acuity specialties like orthopedics and spine, for instance. “You know, we’ve seen higher acuity, good case mix, good payer mix, good growth in some of our key … [Read more...]
ASC Dealbook: ChristianaCare, Virtua Health Reveal Merger Plans; Integrated Pain Associates Partners with Lubbock Spine Institute
ReFocus Eye Health buys New View Eye Center ReFocus Eye Health has acquired New View Eye Center, a Northern Virginia-based ophthalmology practice known for its laser and specialty eye care services. The partnership, announced July 15, brings new administrative and financial support to New View while preserving its personalized, patient-first care model. "Welcoming New View Eye Center to ReFocus Eye Health is an exciting milestone in our mission to expand and diversify access to specialty eye … [Read more...]
How ASCs Can Use Tech to Streamline Compliance, Cut Risk
Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are under increasing pressure to meet hospital-level expectations with fewer resources. That is a reality that Katie Pierson, regulatory specialist at Ambulatory Healthcare Strategies, knows all too well. “Regulators, patients and payers want documentation, credentialing, infection control, emergency preparedness – the list goes on,” Pierson recently said. “But you’re expected to deliver all of that with leaner teams.” During a July 15 webinar hosted by … [Read more...]
CMS Proposes Major Site-of-Service Shift, But ASC Leaders Leery of Unintended Consequences
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is moving to dramatically reshape the surgical care landscape with its 2026 proposed payment rule for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). The nearly 1,000-page document, released July 15, outlines plans to phase out the Medicare Inpatient Only (IPO) list, significantly expand the ASC Covered Procedures List (ASC-CPL) and make targeted changes to the Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program. Industry stakeholders … [Read more...]
Unchecked Access, Unseen Harm: Why ASCs Must Take Drug Diversion Seriously
Drug diversion in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) is more common than most operators realize. And the consequences of not taking the topic seriously are far-reaching. Although the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) inspects ASCs less commonly than hospitals, that doesn't mean these facilities are off the hook, Dennis Wichern, a retired DEA agent and partner at Prescription Drug Consulting, said during a recent Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) webinar. “The odds of DEA knocking … [Read more...]
Navigating the Shifting Economics of Anesthesia in ASCs
Anesthesia remains one of the biggest pain points for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Anesthesia reimbursement has dropped 8.2% over the past decade while provider salaries have climbed as much as 40%. In turn, that has contributed to creating a growing financial strain on ASC operators. Randy Quinn, chief compliance officer and chief integration officer at Guide Anesthesia, said the widening gap is unsustainable, and likely to get worse. “There’s nothing coming up in the future … [Read more...]
How ASCs Can Use AI, Other Tech Tools to Strengthen Compliance
Compliance may never be glamorous, but for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) navigating evolving regulations, staffing shortages and tightening margins, it is an especially important component of success. And that makes investing in compliance-support strategies critical, industry insiders point out. “Each and every day is a different day,” Suzi Gausman, CEO of Nebraska Orthopaedic Center, said during a recent MedTrainer webinar. “There are days where the excitement level may be a little bit … [Read more...]
From AI Hype to Operational Realities: 9 Quotes That Capture 2025 for ASCs
Since the start of 2025, Ambulatory Surgery Center News has spoken with ASC leaders, investors, advisors and other health care executives about everything from robotics and new technologies, to payer pressures and Medicaid cuts. With the year officially at its midway point on July 2, ASC News wanted to take stock of those conversations and explore some of the comments that have best captured 2025’s first half. Here’s what key ASC voices have said about the year thus far, with context on why … [Read more...]