Two hospitals are alleging North American Partners in Anesthesia's noncompete clauses violate antitrust laws, according to lawsuits filed Feb. 26. 

The shortage of anesthesia providers has put pressure on Wshington's hospitals, the Journal of Business reported Feb. 29.

Tennessee Sen. Richard Briggs recently introduced a bill that would establish a scope of practice for anesthesiologist assistants in the state, NBC affiliate WBIR reported Feb. 27.

Some ASCs have had their patient volumes and bottom lines affected by the inability to access anesthesia providers.

In a voluntary agreement with Colorado's attorney general, U.S. Anesthesia Partners will end its contracts with five Colorado hospitals due to its alleged monopoly in the state's Denver and Durango markets.

The District of Columbia has the most anesthesiologists per capita, while Idaho has the fewest, according to January data from KFF.

Salisbury, Md.-based TidalHealth has named Charles Kim, MD, as its medical director for ambulatory anesthesia sites, according to a Feb. 26 report from the Cape Gazette.

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.

The U.S. anesthesia industry is facing several headwinds in 2024. From the impact of declining CMS reimbursements to ongoing staffing shortages and the interference of weight loss medications, including glucagon-like peptide 1 receptors, on patients, leaders have a lot to grapple with. 

The highest paid anesthesiologist in Pittsburgh earns $554,300 per year, according to Medscape's salary reporter tool, which is much higher than the mean annual wage of $302,970 anesthesiologists make according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Surgical services make up around 60% of a facility's revenue, according to a 2023 white paper from Medicus Healthcare Solutions, making access to a dwindling number of anesthesia providers nationwide even more precarious. 

Strong surgeon-anesthesiologist relationships are critical to ASC success.

The market demand for anesthesiologists is far overpowering supply, according to a 2023 whitepaper from Medicus Healthcare Solutions. 

Here are five anesthesiologists or anesthesia-related stories that have made headlines since Jan. 24:

A report from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has named weight loss medications, including glucagon-like peptide 1 receptors, as ones that could potentially interfere with anesthesia in patients. 

In 2021, the protocol for evaluation and management billing use expanded to allow for the flexibility of choosing a billing code based on either time or medical decision-making. How has this change by CMS affected coding patterns of anesthesiologists?

Anesthesia provider shortages and declining anesthesia reimbursements are two of the biggest issues ASC leaders are facing. 

Here are three physician-led anesthesia groups to know:

Here are nine headlines on anesthesiology the ASC industry should know, as reported by Becker's since Jan. 3:

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has undergone general anesthesia for "non-surgical procedures," related to a bladder issue.