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DISC Surgery Center, a provider for high-acuity outpatient spine and joint procedures, is planting its flag in Florida for the first time. The California-based ambulatory surgery center (ASC) network, backed by management company TriasMD, will open a new facility in West Palm Beach later this year – its sixth ASC overall and first outside of the Golden State. The DISC Surgery Center at West Palm Beach will include three operating suites, seven pre-op rooms, five PACU bays and an on-site … [Read more...]

Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are facing mounting pressure to prove clinical excellence as payers pivot toward value‑based contracts and higher‑acuity cases migrate to the outpatient setting.  Yet because ASCs are different from the hospital setting, they require different benchmarking standards. Nina Goins, executive director of the ASC Quality Collaboration, said her coalition’s new safety and quality assessment, national benchmarking data, and ASC‑specific performance measures can … [Read more...]

The site-neutrality movement, aimed at standardizing payments across outpatient health care settings, has rapidly emerged as an important discussion among ambulatory surgery center (ASC) operators.  While potentially beneficial in driving procedures into lower-cost environments by eliminating hospital facility fees, industry leaders have mixed perspectives on its implementation. Michael McClain, managing partner at Left Coast Healthcare Advisors, told Ambulatory Surgery Center News his … [Read more...]

A new survey from the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) found that a significant majority of ambulatory surgery centers are now actively administering the Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (OAS CAHPS) Survey, following its mandate as part of the Medicare ASC Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program. The March 2025 ASCA 60-Second Survey, which gathered responses from 261 facilities across 44 states, showed a marked shift since last … [Read more...]

Leaders across the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) industry agree on one point: ASCs have never been more essential to the nation’s health care ecosystem.  “I think as we see more acute care cases move into our world, we’re all getting really comfortable with the joints, the spine [cases], and now we’re moving into two, three level spines as the codes and and things change,” Deb Yoder, vice president of facility development at Compass Surgical Partners, told Ambulatory Surgery Center News at … [Read more...]

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...]

TriasMD, the company behind DISC Surgery Centers, is opening a new outpatient surgery facility in San Diego that will specialize in spine, orthopedic and pain management care. The 12,000-square-foot center will feature operating suites equipped with advanced imaging, navigation and robotic technology.  The facility adds to the several spine, orthopedic and pain management facilities DISC operates across California. TriasMD is an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) management company. Many … [Read more...]

Advancements in technology are remaking operating rooms, administrative back offices and patient care across the health care sector. Yet for many ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs), artificial intelligence and other tech tools remains uneven at best.  “ASCs are probably behind the times,” Tansie Stewart, CEO of the  Texas Health Surgery Center Park Hill, told Ambulatory Surgery Center News at the Investment & Operations conference. “It’s … [Read more...]

In a sweeping move that could reshape health care administration across the country, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has unveiled a major restructuring plan.  Under the plan, HHS will reduce its workforce from 82,000 to 62,000 employees and consolidate 28 divisions into 15, with the aim of streamlining administrative functions and centralizing processes such as human resources, information technology, procurement, external affairs and policy, according to a Trump … [Read more...]

Ambulatory surgery center (ASC) industry insiders are mixed when it comes to the 2025 reimbursement landscape. ASCs typically receive reimbursement from a mix of public and private payers. Payer sources include fee-for-service Medicare and Medicare Advantage (MA), for instance, but also commercial insurance, Medicaid and self-pay. This payer landscape has been steadily evolving in recent years, both in terms of volume and rate dynamics. The U.S. Center for Medicare & Medicaid … [Read more...]