For ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), success across a variety of areas can be linked back to operating room efficiency. OR efficiency is critical for ASCs because it directly impacts a facility's ability to maximize case volume and revenue within limited operating hours. Efficient OR booking ensures optimal utilization of surgical time, while fast, safe turnover between procedures minimizes downtime, improves patient flow and enhances surgeon satisfaction. Together, these efficiencies … [Read more...]
Ambulatory Surgery Centers Can Boost Safety, Prevent Catastrophe with At-Home Patient Monitoring
A new study from Intermountain Health has shown that discharging certain high-risk patients with a pulse oximeter can help prevent opioid-induced respiratory depression at home. The findings are particularly relevant for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), where patients often receive opioids after same-day procedures and then quickly return to their homes without the degree of clinical monitoring they’d receive in other settings. Home monitoring will likely become a part of an added safety … [Read more...]
From Budget Bleed to Burnout: The Top ASC Challenges Defining 2025
Rising operational costs and staffing constraints are two of the most pressing challenges for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) in 2025, new survey findings from Ambulatory Surgery Center News suggest. Other pain points include anesthesiology, reimbursement rates and market consolidation, according to the survey. To better understand current trends and challenges in the ASC space, ASC News conducted a survey of professionals across a range of roles in the industry at the beginning of 2025. … [Read more...]
‘Measure Twice, Cut Once’: Building an ASC that Meets Future Demands
A driving force behind current ambulatory surgery center (ASC) construction and renovation is the push to accommodate higher-acuity cases, particularly orthopedics and spine procedures, that traditionally took place in a hospital setting. Yet another driving force is steering in the other direction; lower-acuity cases are being moved into the outpatient setting to capitalize on more favorable reimbursement. To make it all happen under one roof, it takes careful planning, thoughtful design … [Read more...]
The States, Cities with the Most High-Performing Ambulatory Surgery Centers
There are thousands of high-performing ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) operating across the United States. But some cities and states have far more high-performing ASCs than others, a new industry ranking from U.S. News & World Report suggests. U.S. News & World Report released its Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers ratings for 2025 on Tuesday. To compile its list of top ASCs, the organization evaluated 4,357 surgery centers in four specialty areas: colonoscopy and endoscopy, … [Read more...]
New AcuityMD Data Reveals Rapid Shift of Spinal Surgeries into ASCs
AcuityMD, a commercial intelligence platform for the med-tech industry, unveiled new data at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) 2025 Annual Meeting related to the shift of higher-acuity procedures into outpatient settings. Of note for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), the new data revealed how spinal surgeries increased nearly 8% annually from 2021 through 2024. From 2018 through 2024, nearly 900,000 outpatient spinal procedures were performed in ASCs in the United … [Read more...]
From HOPD Conversions to Culture-Building: What It Takes to Launch High-Performing ASCs
When it comes to developing, launching and growing a successful ambulatory surgery center (ASC), the journey for operators can be both exciting and challenging. Along the way, there are certain key factors that can determine whether an ASC will thrive. Few understand this better than Stacy Danahy, who has spent more than 25 years opening and managing dozens of ASCs across the country. Danahy currently serves as the vice president of orthopedic and spine growth and strategy at Compass … [Read more...]
Surgery Partners Cashing In on Orthopedics Boom, Ramping Up De Novo Development
Following a go-private proposal from Bain Capital Private Equity and other sales-process rumors that began last year, ambulatory surgery center (ASC) industry insiders have been following Surgery Partners Inc. (Nasdaq: SGRY) very closely. Amid the noise, the Surgery Partners leadership team is sticking to its playbook: organic growth, margin improvement and strategic M&A. It’s a strategy that drove the Brentwood, Tennessee-based company to cross $3 billion in revenue for the first time in … [Read more...]
‘Keep Patients at the Top of Everything You Do’: How ASCs Are Raising the Clinical Bar
A confluence of factors, including patient preference and federal approvals, are spurring the shift of complex procedures into the outpatient space. Yet from the physician perspective, one of the chief motivators is a better surgical experience. “I do, at this point, at least 80% of my spine surgery cases in an ambulatory surgery center (ASC), and that means I don’t have to run them through the hospital,” Dr. Jason Cuéllar of Cuéllar Spine said during the Ambulatory Surgery Center New … [Read more...]
Tenet Healthcare Reports Strong ASC Growth, Plans Continued Expansion in 2025
Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC) closed out 2024 strong, partly propelled by growth in its large ambulatory surgery center (ASC) division, United Surgical Partners International (USPI). Moving forward, the company is focused on ASC expansion and high-acuity case growth, CEO Saum Sutaria said during the company’s Q4 earnings call. "We intend to invest approximately $250 million each year towards M&A in the ambulatory space,” Sutaria said. “And the pipeline of opportunities … [Read more...]