Eugene, Ore.-based Umpqua Community College and the Southwestern Oregon Workforce Investment Board have partnered with the Oregon Ambulatory Surgery Center Association to create the state's first surgical technologist apprenticeship program, according to a Jan. 2 report from ABC affiliate KEZI.

Fort Street Partners and Chestnut Healthcare Real Estate have formed a joint venture to acquire and develop $150 million in outpatient medical and surgery centers over the next four years, according to a Jan. 3 report from the Commercial Property Executive.

The ASC industry has evolved tremendously in the last three years and independent surgery centers are making strategic investments for future growth.

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen two prominent men to lead health-related affairs in his administration, Mehmet Oz, MD, and Robert Kennedy, Jr.

A judge in Connecticut dismissed a 2021 appeal by Day Kimball Healthcare against the state and Hartford HealthCare over approval of a Plainfield, Conn.-based ASC, according to a Dec. 31 report from Hartford Business Journal.

Scott Saffold, MD, and his practice will pay $625,000 to resolve allegations that he and his medical practice falsely billed government healthcare programs. 

Here are five anesthesia groups bringing innovative practices and business strategies to the industry: 

Ten physicians currently hold a spot on Forbes' live net worth tracker, updated on Jan. 1 for 2025. 

Joel Smithers, MD, a physician in Abingdon, Va., was convicted of 467 federal counts of drug distribution.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey is again eyeing legislation that would increase oversight of private equity activity in healthcare, Mass Live reported Jan. 2. 

Allentown, Pa.-based Lehigh Valley Health Network and Lehigh Valley Physician Group have added local physician group Eastern Pennsylvania Gastroenterology and Liver Specialists to their network. 

Springfield, Mo.-based CoxHealth took the first steps toward building a pediatric outpatient center, the Springfield Daily Citizen reported Jan. 2. 

After almost four years of legal back-and-forth, three Ohio judges have upheld a unanimous $7 million verdict from October 2023 against Germantown, Md.-based Alteon Health and Patrick Bovino, DO, WFMJ 21 reported Jan. 2. 

Becker's reported on about 30 physician practice and ASC closures in 2024. Here are some of the top reasons that facilities shut their doors in the last year: 

Beginning Jan. 1, nine states across the nation cut income taxes for residents, according to a Jan. 1 report from CBS News.

From new legislation to shuttered practices, these are the five most-read gastroenterology stories that Becker's covered in 2024: 

On Jan. 1, a new law went into effect in Nebraska, requiring insurance companies to cover every part of colorectal cancer screenings. 

Oklahoma City-based Cardiovascular Specialists and physician Stewart Katz, MD, have paid $270,000 to settle false claims allegations. 

Here are five updates that changed the landscape for colorectal cancer detection and treatment in 2024:

Effective Jan. 1, Pennsylvania will set limits to noncompete agreements in physicians' contracts for the first time, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Dec. 31.