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Scaling an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) platform means more than adding new centers.  This is the view of Mark Langston, the new CEO of Compass Surgical Partners, who stepped into the top job at the beginning of what promises to be a big year for the growing ASC management company. The Raleigh, North Carolina-based Compass has more than 40 ASCs that it has developed or manages in its network. “We want to start building our foundation further so that when we’re at 100 facilities, … [Read more...]

A new McKinsey & Company report paints a sobering picture of U.S. health care over the next several years, marked by margin pressure, policy disruption and uneven recovery. Yet amid the turbulence, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and outpatient care models are positioned for sustained growth. “Post-acute and outpatient care continue as bright spots supported by segments such as home health, hospice, and [ASCs], with an aging population and continued site-of-care shifts fueling … [Read more...]

The shift of musculoskeletal procedures from inpatient to outpatient alone is potentially a multi-billion-dollar opportunity for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). That’s according to a recent analysis from Trilliant Health, a health care data and analytics company. “With the removal of the [IPO] list, we're tracking the potential for accelerated migration to the outpatient setting, which has the potential to increase care value somewhat broadly, but also has very real implications for … [Read more...]

If 2026 is shaping up to be a defining year for the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) business model, it is also one that will test its limits. Rising labor costs, payer complexity, anesthesia shortages and margin pressure are operational realities that executives are confronting daily. The shift of higher-acuity cases into outpatient settings continues, but the economic and workforce infrastructure needed to support that growth has not always kept pace. For many operators, the challenge is … [Read more...]

Chronic pain procedures are increasingly being performed in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), offering patients quicker access, lower costs and reduced infection risks compared to traditional hospital settings, especially benefiting older adults on Medicare. However, challenges remain in maintaining effective pain management and navigating regulatory and reimbursement hurdles.  “Reimbursement is always a challenge,” Jennifer Hodge, COO of Palmetto Pain Management, told ASC News.  “Some … [Read more...]

Compass Surgical Partners has named Mark Langston its new CEO. The change comes as the large and fast-growing ambulatory surgery center (ASC) management company prepares for its next phase of expansion amid accelerating shifts toward outpatient care. "Compass is at a point where growth is happening across multiple existing partnerships, while we also look ahead to adding new health system partnerships in 2026 and beyond," Langston said in a press release. "My focus as CEO is on building … [Read more...]

Nashua Ambulatory Surgical Center (NASC) in Nashua, New Hampshire, has expanded its services to include total joint surgery, beginning with its first total shoulder replacement.  This successful surgery marks the launch of NASC’s total joint program, which will reportedly grow to include total hip and knee replacements in early 2026.  “The motivation to bring total joint surgery to NASC is to provide high-quality, cost-effective outpatient care with a focus on patient safety, comfort and … [Read more...]

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this week took major steps to operationalize one of the largest federal investments in rural health care in decades, formally establishing a new agency office and announcing the distribution of $50 billion in funding to all 50 states aimed at strengthening care delivery in rural communities. On Dec. 29, CMS announced the creation of the Office of Rural Health Transformation (ORHT) within the agency’s Center for Medicaid and CHIP … [Read more...]

Not every story that shapes the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) industry does so with splashy headlines or massive traffic numbers. Some of the most consequential developments unfold more quietly: through pilot programs, early-stage platforms, regulatory experiments or strategic bets that signal where the market may be headed next. In 2025, ASC News published several such stories that didn’t dominate the click charts but offered insight into how outpatient care is evolving beneath the … [Read more...]

More and more ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are leveraging AI to streamline administrative processes, boost operational efficiency, improve patient care and ensure safety.  And that’s a trend likely to pick up in 2026, industry insiders told Ambulatory Surgery Center News. “Baby boomers are reaching their high-demand years for health care needs, joint replacement surgery, orthopedic surgery,” Dr. Alexander van der Ven, head of the joint replacement division at Baptist Health Orthopedic … [Read more...]