Current Issue of Becker's ASC Review

March/April 2024 Issue of Becker's ASC Review

ON THE COVER

Where ASC transactions are heating up
Although 68% of the ASC market remains independent, the industry saw continued consolidation in 2023, according to a recent report from VMG Health.

Orthopedic MSOs remain popular but other options show promise
Musculoskeletal management organizations have been a popular avenue for orthopedic practices to find support amid economic, business and payer headwinds. But in the last year, some physicians have also found success in other consolidation models.

Complex spine surgery can work in ASCs. Here are the steps to get there
More spine surgeries are migrating to ASCs, and the outpatient setting has been ideal for minimally invasive procedures. But work still needs to be done to optimize complex spine cases for ASCs. 

ASC leaders turn to gastroenterology for growth
Healthcare leaders are turning to gastroenterology to unlock growth opportunities.

The advice CEOs put to use in their 1st year on the job
A number of hospitals and health systems appointed new CEOs early last year. Though these CEOs were new to the role and maybe even to the organization, they brought with them past experiences and lessons learned from others, which they were able to use to be a part of meaningful change during their first months on the job. 

How ASCs are adapting to supply chain struggles
Although expense management is always something leaders consider when managing ASCs, in recent years cutting costs has become even more important to grapple with ongoing supply disruptions, increasing costs of supplies and labor and decreasing reimbursements.

What an ASC did to avoid room shutdowns
Andrew Lovewell, CEO of Columbia (Mo.) Orthopaedic Group, realized his surgery center had a problem. The demand for services was high, but cases couldn't get scheduled because of gaps in anesthesia coverage.

Hospitals target ASCs with new proposals
Outpatient revenue for hospitals and health systems jumped 10.6% year over year in January, as hospitals continue to see more complex procedures become safe in the outpatient setting, according to Syntellis.

ASC Management

Hospitals target ASCs with new proposals
Outpatient revenue for hospitals and health systems jumped 10.6% year over year in January, as hospitals continue to see more complex procedures become safe in the outpatient setting, according to Syntellis.

Physician vs. healthcare CEO pay: 7 stats to know
Here are seven stats to know about how physician pay stacks up compared to CEO pay: 

What an ASC did to avoid room shutdowns
Andrew Lovewell, CEO of Columbia (Mo.) Orthopaedic Group, realized his surgery center had a problem. The demand for services was high, but cases couldn't get scheduled because of gaps in anesthesia coverage.

UnitedHealth's physician group ownership targeted in antitrust investigation
UnitedHealth Group is the target of a Justice Department antitrust investigation, according to The Wall Street Journal. Investigators are zeroing in on the company's ownership across sectors, including physician groups, pharmacy drug benefits and a major health plan.

Crozer Health nixes ASC plans
Springfield Township, Pa.-based Crozer Health has nixed plans to reopen its shuttered Springfield campus's emergency department and medical center as an orthopedic ASC, according to a March 5 report from the Philadelphia Business Journal.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

How ASCs are adapting to supply chain struggles
Although expense management is always something leaders consider when managing ASCs, in recent years cutting costs has become even more important to grapple with ongoing supply disruptions, increasing costs of supplies and labor and decreasing reimbursements.

Are ASCs cutting ties with Medicare patients?
In wake of CMS' finalized physician fee schedule, which cut physician pay by 3.4% compared to last year despite rising inflation and practice costs, some practices and physicians made the decision to drop Medicare patients.

'Hospitals are scared to death': Why ASCs have the advantage in recruiting spine surgeons
Allowing physicians to have ownership in the places they work can make ASCs more attractive in recruiting, spine surgeon Stephen Hochschuler, MD, said. 

Stepping outside one's 'silo' key to growth, 1 surgeon says
Becker's connected with Jason Ko, MD, vice chair of clinical operations for the department of surgery at Northwestern Center for Hand Surgery in Chicago, to learn how he keeps his career as a physician fulfilling — despite any concerns he may have with the industry.

ORTHOPEDICS

Complex spine surgery can work in ASCs. Here are the steps to get there
More spine surgeries are migrating to ASCs, and the outpatient setting has been ideal for minimally invasive procedures. But work still needs to be done to optimize complex spine cases for ASCs. 

Cervical disc replacement on the rise, ACDF leveling out: A 10-year review
Cervical disc replacement has increased significantly from 2011 and 2021 while anterior cervical discectomy and fusion plateaued, according to a study published Feb. 24 in The Spine Journal

Value-based care hit a 'stumbling block': 1 orthopedic surgeon explains why
Value-based care is a hot topic in orthopedic care, but its lack of consensus among payers, patients and physicians has been an obstacle, Michael Havig, MD, said.

Orthopedic MSOs remain popular but other options show promise
Musculoskeletal management organizations have been a popular avenue for orthopedic practices to find support amid economic, business and payer headwinds. But in the last year, some physicians have also found success in other consolidation models.

GASTROENTROLOGY

The colonoscopy conundrum
Gastroenterology physicians and practices are facing a major challenge: increased demand for colonoscopies amid declining reimbursements. 

ASC leaders turn to gastroenterology for growth
Healthcare leaders are turning to gastroenterology to unlock growth opportunities.

The big trends this gastroenterologist is watching
Low reimbursements and staff retention are just a few of the trends on gastroenterologists' minds. 

Private gastroenterology practices might have to get bigger
When it comes to the survival of private gastroenterology practice, bigger may be better.

The factors benefitting, hurting gastroenterology
While technology has given gastroenterologists a leg up in the healthcare industry, there are still several factors that could drive them away from the field.

TRANSACTIONS

Where ASC transactions are heating up
Although 68% of the ASC market remains independent, the industry saw continued consolidation in 2023, according to a recent report from VMG Health.

Tenet to sell 2 hospitals in $550M agreement with Adventist Health
Tenet Healthcare entered a definitive agreement with Roseville, Calif.-based Adventist Health for the sale of two Tenet hospitals and related operations in California's San Luis Obispo County.

The rise and fall of ASC inflation adjustments
The net inflation adjustment for ASCs is 3.1% in 2024, a full percentage point higher than the average since 2015.

The biggest opportunity in ASC acquisitions
The fragmentation of the ASC market is primed for acquisitions at the individual facility level, according to a January report from VMG Health. 

Michigan surgery, endoscopy center building sells for $9.8M
A Midland, Mich.-based building housing the Great Lakes Bay Surgery & Endoscopy Center has sold for $9.8 million, according to a Feb. 16 report from REBusiness Online.

HEALTHCARE NEWS

The advice CEOs put to use in their 1st year on the job
A number of hospitals and health systems appointed new CEOs early last year. Though these CEOs were new to the role and maybe even to the organization, they brought with them past experiences and lessons learned from others, which they were able to use to be a part of meaningful change during their first months on the job. 

'Collaboration will reduce the cost': Penn Medicine CEO talks mergers, margin improvements
From maintaining a positive ratings outlook to having an engaged workforce, Kevin Mahoney, CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, part of Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine said overall, 2023 was great for the health system, and for 2024, it's about continued margin improvement.

Rising uncompensated care costs have Denver Health at 'critical point,' CEO says
Denver Health is pushing for more state and federal funding as it grapples with ballooning uncompensated care costs, NBC affiliate KUSA reported Jan. 9.

The tide is turning on healthcare megamergers
Proposed healthcare mergers and acquisitions are continuing to face backlash from hospital and physician groups along with state and federal lawmakers — signaling a turn of the tide against megadeals. 

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