As the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) industry heads deeper into 2026, many of the most consequential forces shaping its future are not the ones making headlines. Beyond the familiar debates over reimbursement, procedure migration and consolidation, a sometimes quieter set of dynamics is emerging – issues that are unfolding incrementally, often outside formal rulemaking or earnings calls, but with the potential to materially alter how ASCs operate, compete and grow. To surface these … [Read more...]
Executive Outlook, Part II: The Challenges That Could Define 2026 for ASCs
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...]
Executive Outlook: Why 2026 Could Redefine the ASC Business Model
The ambulatory surgery center (ASC) industry is entering 2026 with plenty of momentum, fueled by a shifting regulatory landscape plus rising demand from patients and payers alike. But there are sizable hurdles ASC operators will need to clear as they move forward. To help set the scene, Ambulatory Surgery Center News connected with 12 ASC leaders and market experts, asking them about the trends, challenges and opportunities likely to define 2026 most. Those who participated in this … [Read more...]
ASCs Focus on Culture, Staffing Flexibility Amid Unprecedented Health Care Leadership Turnover
Hospital and outpatient surgery center leadership has experienced unprecedented turnover in 2025, caused by economic pressures, technological demands and a shifting workforce culture. As CEO and similar departures rise, organizations are adopting new strategies to stabilize teams and maintain continuity. Through July 2025, hospital CEO exits rose nearly 15% year over year. This occurs even as the overall rate of CEO turnover across industries begins to slow, according to a report from … [Read more...]
ASCs Risk Millions by Relying on ‘Smoke Signal’ Staffing
Ambulatory surgery center (ASC) operators can break the firefighting cycle of last-minute staffing by using data, forecasting and a ready bench of familiar, flexible clinicians. And utilizing third-party staffing solutions doesn’t just fill gaps; smarter staffing can also minimize full-time employee turnover and save facilities tens of thousands of dollars annually – and millions over time. Medely executive Phil Galligan explored these and other staffing topics during a recent ASC News … [Read more...]