News

Legislation to block cuts to Medicare payments for physicians is back on the table. On Jan. 31, U.S. Rep. Greg Murphy, who has a background as a medical doctor, reintroduced the bipartisan “Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act.” A 2024 version of the bill was previously introduced in October. "Physicians in America are facing unprecedented financial viability challenges due to continued Medicare cuts,” Murphy, a Republican from North Carolina, said in a statement. “Access … [Read more...]

The ASC Quality Collaboration (ASCQC) has released its ASC Safety & Quality Assessment tool. ASCQC is an organization focused on advancing patient safety and quality of care in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). It officially announced the release of the new tool on Feb. 3. The ASC Safety & Quality Assessment is a free online survey that surgery centers can use to “benchmark themselves against key attributes that help define a safe, high-quality site of ambulatory surgical care,” … [Read more...]

The number of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) operating in the fee-for-service Medicare landscape is rising. So, too, is the share of traditional Medicare beneficiaries served by ASCs. That’s according to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), which presented on the ASC market as part of its regular health care status report on Jan. 16. The objective of these regular MedPAC presentations is to educate commissioners on the various corners of health care, giving MedPAC the … [Read more...]

Ardent Health (NYSE: ARDT) is pushing to meet patients where they are, whether in a hospital, an outpatient clinic, or through digital solutions, CEO Marty Bonick said Jan. 14 during the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference.   That also is likely to increasingly include ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) in the future. “We operate in eight growing, mid-sized urban markets, … with a very consumer-centric focus in terms of how we’re growing and expanding,” Bonick said.  Ardent currently … [Read more...]

As the health care landscape continues to evolve, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities. From shifting reimbursement models to advances in surgical technology, ASCs must navigate a dynamic environment to remain competitive, efficient and patient-focused. To explore these and other topics, Ambulatory Surgery Center News is officially launching our 2025 industry outlook survey. This survey – live through Jan. 31, 2025 – aims to uncover key … [Read more...]

Last year was a pivotal year for the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) industry, marked by transformative trends, groundbreaking innovations and high-stakes decisions that reshaped the landscape. It was also an exciting year for us at Ambulatory Surgery Center News, as we launched in the summer of 2024 with a mission to deliver in-depth reporting and actionable insights tailored to ASC operators, investors, payers, clinicians and other stakeholders. Since our debut, we've brought you stories … [Read more...]

One of the newer publicly traded health care companies in the U.S., Ardent Health (NYSE: ARDT), is ramping up its ambulatory care M&A activity. The Brentwood, Tennessee-based Ardent announced Friday the acquisition of 18 urgent care clinics across New Mexico and Oklahoma from NextCare Urgent Care. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. “Expanding our urgent care footprint represents significant progress in our mission to create a consumer-focused ecosystem of care in … [Read more...]

Getting surgical technology and equipment ready – and in the hands of surgeons at the right time – is essential to running an efficient operating room. But there’s a big problem: There’s a dire shortage of trained professionals who know how to perform such tasks in concert with surgeons, anesthesiologists and nurses. A new initiative out of Oregon wants to help mitigate that challenge. Umpqua Community College (UCC) and the Southwestern Oregon Workforce Investment Board (SOWIB) announced … [Read more...]

SCA Health, the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) arm of Optum, acquired OrthoAlliance, an orthopedic management services organization. The acquisition, effective as of November 1, expands SCA Health’s network in orthopedic and sports medicine services. Optum is the health services business of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UHG). “Since its founding in 2019, OrthoAlliance has focused on providing instant access to high-quality, value-based care throughout Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky,” SCA told ASC … [Read more...]

Baxter has provided its final update for 2024 on the recovery of its North Cove, North Carolina, manufacturing facility following the unprecedented flooding caused by Hurricane Helene.  Ambulatory surgery center (ASC) operators nationwide have been closely monitoring these updates due to the critical role North Cove plays in the supply of IV solutions and other essential products. While reports of ASCs needing to pull back on procedures due to the situation are no longer widespread, one … [Read more...]