Surgery Partners Inc. (Nasdaq: SGRY) has experienced a swirl of negative headlines in the past year: an unsuccessful private-equity takeover bid, unexpected headwinds that drove an earnings shortfall, an activist investor’s push for a company overhaul, and a lawsuit accusing the surgical facility operator of fraudulent billing practices. However, executives at the Tennessee-based company had largely positive news to report when discussing first-quarter 2026 earnings on May 5. “We are … [Read more...]
Nonprofit Watchdog Expanding ASC Public Reporting Program
The Leapfrog Group is expanding its ambulatory surgery center (ASC) public reporting program. That move, according to Leapfrog, will bring patient safety and quality data on nearly 4,000 ASCs into public view beginning in late July. The nonprofit watchdog, which has long focused on transparency in hospital safety and quality, claims the redesigned initiative will combine federal quality data, accreditation-based measures and results from a revised ASC survey in an effort to give patients, … [Read more...]
ASC Payment Fight Returns as Lawmakers Move to Preserve Hospital Market Basket Update
A bipartisan House bill introduced March 25 would permanently extend a more favorable Medicare inflation update for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). It would also block another type of payment adjustment that the industry argues could hold ASC reimbursement down. The legislation – the Outpatient Surgery Access Act of 2026 – was introduced by Reps. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas) and John Larson (D-Conn). If enacted, it would align annual payment updates for ASCs with hospital outpatient … [Read more...]
‘It Is Increasingly Being Performed in Surgery Centers’: US News ASC Rankings Point to Rise of Shoulder Replacements
The latest U.S. News & World Report rankings of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) point to more than strong performance on routine outpatient cases. The rankings also offer more evidence suggesting higher-acuity procedures are moving deeper into the ASC setting, with total shoulder replacement emerging as a prime example. For its 2026 ratings, U.S. News & World Report added shoulder replacement to its “Orthopedics & Spine” category for the first time. The rankings specifically … [Read more...]
Tenet CEO Saum Sutaria on Higher-Acuity Care, ASC Opportunities
Tenet Healthcare Corp. (NYSE: THC) continues to sharpen its focus on execution and higher-acuity procedures within its ambulatory business, building on momentum highlighted from the recent earnings season. Speaking at the Barclays 28th Annual Global Healthcare Conference recently, CEO Saum Sutaria said Tenet’s United Surgical Partners International (USPI) arm will continue to prioritize more complex procedures and service-line development. “We're focused on … doing more of the same: … [Read more...]
America’s ‘Best’ Ambulatory Surgery Centers Revealed as Outpatient Care Surges
The shift of surgical care into outpatient settings continues to reshape the U.S. health care landscape. And a new set of rankings from U.S. News & World Report once again highlights which ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are leading the charge. U.S. News on late Tuesday/early Wednesday (depending on where you live) released its “2026 Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers” ratings, evaluating 4,421 ASCs nationwide across four specialty areas. Those areas included colonoscopy and endoscopy, … [Read more...]
Activist Investor Calls for Sweeping Changes at Surgery Partners, Urges Divestiture of Surgical Hospitals
An activist investor is pushing Surgery Partners Inc. (Nasdaq: SGRY) to overhaul its strategy, arguing the company should sell its surgical hospitals and focus solely on its ambulatory surgery center (ASC) business. Ortelius Advisors issued an open letter to Surgery Partners shareholders Tuesday criticizing the company’s performance and calling for sweeping operational, financial and governance changes. In its letter, the New York-based investment firm said Surgery Partners has failed to … [Read more...]
Ardent Health Sees Momentum Building as Outpatient Strategy Expands
Ardent Health (NYSE: ARDT) is tackling 2026 with renewed operational momentum, pointing to improving financial performance and continued investment in outpatient access points – including ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) – as part of its long-term growth strategy. The Brentwood, Tennessee–based health system reported fourth-quarter revenue of about $1.61 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $134 million, according to financial results released March 4. For the full year, Ardent generated $6.32 … [Read more...]
Surgery Partners Navigating Challenges Tied to Payer Dynamics, Physician Transitions
Surgery Partners (Nasdaq: SGRY) ended 2025 confronting problems that its leaders insist are temporary. Even so, the end-of-2025 challenges serve as a reminder to ambulatory surgery center (ASC) operators how quickly payer dynamics and physician transitions can disrupt even a scaled platform. “The year closed out against a challenging backdrop, with several headwinds impacting our business in ways we didn't anticipate,” Surgery Partners CEO Eric Evans said during a Tuesday morning earnings … [Read more...]
Atlas Lands Prisma Partnership as ASC JV Landscape Heats Up
The ambulatory surgery center (ASC) joint venture landscape is primed for a big year. Atlas Healthcare Partners is ready to capitalize on that momentum. The Phoenix-based ASC development and management company announced Thursday that it has inked a new partnership with Prisma Health to expand outpatient surgical capacity across the Southeast, adding another large not-for-profit system to its roster of JV partners. “We continue to make great progress with our current JV partners in terms of … [Read more...]