In an Oct. 16 opinion piece published in MedpageToday, Nehad Soloman, MD, a Glendale, Ariz.-based rheumatologist writes that fees for electronic fund transfers on payments made at medical practices "cut into practices' often razor-thin margins as they struggle to stay afloat after years of stagnating reimbursement." 

An anesthesiologist has sued Boynton Beach, Fla.-based Bethesda Hospital after he allegedly slipped and fell in an ASC, Boca News Now reported Oct. 14. 

Dermatologist Barbara Vail, MD, is suing Doylestown, Pa.-based Dermatology and Mohs Surgery Center and its parent companies, along with two executives, alleging wrongful termination, according to court documents accessed via Justia. 

The North Carolina Supreme Court's recent ruling on a physician's certificate-of-need lawsuit could lead to an unraveling of the policy, NBC affiliate WRAL reported Oct. 18. 

Here are five lawsuits involving cardiologists since July 1, as reported by Becker's: 

Patients are facing obstacles to secure care after CommonSpirit Vascular Surgery Penrose, a clinic inside Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colo., was forced to close after providers departed. 

Pocatello, Idaho-based Portneuf Heart and Vascular Institute added Ryan Longmore, DO, to its staff, according to an Oct. 21 report by East Idaho News.

By the end of 2024, the U.S. is predicted to see a shortage of 64,000 physicians, according to research from McKinsey & Co.

Real estate developer Meridian has purchased a vacant, 94,569-square-foot medical building in Tucson, Ariz.

UPMC has shuttered a practice in Emlenton, Pa., leaving the 650-person borough without a physician, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Oct. 20. 

Annual fecal immunochemical test-based surveillance could be as effective as colonoscopies in reducing long-term colorectal cancer incidence and mortality, according to a recent study published in Gastroenterology. The approach could significantly decrease the overall use of colonoscopies.

UnitedHealth Group, parent company of Optum, has set its sights on acquiring Brentwood, Tenn.-based ASC operator Surgery Partners, leaving industry leaders concerned about the potential effects. 

The West Virginia State Medical Association and the West Virginia Academy of Eye Physicians & Surgeons have filed a lawsuit asking the state court to enjoin a new rule, supported by the West Virginia Board of Optometry and signed in March by the state's governor, that allows optometrists to perform some eyelid procedures and surgeries, according to an Oct. 20 report from the American Medical Association. The suit also seeks an immediate injunction to halt the practice. 

Black patients may be more likely to be given oral opioids and less likely to be given certain multimodal analgesia options than white patients, according to research published by the American Society of Anesthesiologists on Oct. 20. 

Irving, Texas-based Christus Health and Kerryville (Texas) Surgery Center have finalized a joint venture as Christus Surgery Center. 

A 45-year-old private ophthalmology practice in Lexington, N.C., has partnered with the Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Wake Eye Institute and Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, according to an Oct. 21 report from The Dispatch.

Many ASCs are encountering difficulties in obtaining IV fluids following the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene, which damaged a Baxter International facility in Marion, N.C., responsible for producing 60% of the country's IV fluid supply. Yet they are often finding ways to obtain and use IV fluids in ways hospitals may fall short.

ASC leaders are keeping a close eye on the evolving healthcare industry as leaders persevere through bankruptcies, layoffs and closures to help recover from challenges and drive operational performance. 

From state colonoscopy changes to new malpractice legislation, here are 16 pieces of healthcare legislation physicians are watching in 2024: 

Pennsylvania has the highest number of physicians per capita out of any state at 167.55 physicians for every 100,000 residents.