Many Texas hospitals are pausing elective surgeries as nursing staff and beds run critically low amid a fourth COVID-19 surge, and ASCs are gearing up for what might come next.

A patient at the Cincinnati-based Mayfield Spine Surgery Center was one of the more that 110 patients who received a procedure with a tuberculosis-infected allograft, the Ohio Department of Health confirmed. 

Hospitals nationwide are postponing elective procedures as COVID-19 surges are reaching record highs. 

Florida's law that bans businesses from requiring vaccination documentation is making it difficult for some ASCs in the state to be "compassionate as well as responsible."

South Georgia Medical Center has reopened a drive-thru coronavirus test site in the parking lot outside its surgery center in Valdosta, Ga., ABC affiliate WTXL reported Aug. 9.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has asked hospitals to voluntarily delay elective procedures in an Aug. 9 letter to the Texas Hospital Association, citing concern about a shortage of hospital capacity as COVID-19 surges throughout the state. 

Oneida (N.Y.) Health canceled some elective cases at its ASC Aug. 10-11 as its emergency room experiences an "unusually high number of patients," according to the Rome Sentinel.

The California Department of Public Health issued an order Aug. 5 requiring healthcare workers to be vaccinated, citing increasing COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state. 

New York state Sen. Gustavo Rivera, D-Bronx, and Assembly Member Richard Gottfried, D-Manhattan, celebrated the start of ASC Month in the state, the first month for the state to hold this observance.

Seaside Surgery Center on Aug. 24 will host U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., for a tour of the facility and a chance to see the center's endoscopic surgery technology in action, the practice said Aug. 9.

The ASC industry has faced immense shifts in the past few years from the COVID-19 pandemic and overall healthcare consolidations, leaving leaders wondering how ASCs will adapt. 

Naples, Fla.-based NCH Healthcare System has postponed elective surgeries to make room for COVID-19 patients, Naples Daily News reported Aug. 9.

Merritt Hawkins released its list of the most recruited physician and advanced practice specialties for 2021 Aug. 9.

Becker's ASC Review Editor-in-Chief Laura Dyrda laid out the three biggest stories from this past week in an episode of "Becker's Ambulatory Surgery Center Podcast."

For Tracy Helmer, administrator of Seven Hills ASC in Henderson, Nev., remaining competitive requires becoming a master of a few specialties rather than a "jack of all trades."

HHS' Office of the Inspector General is auditing Medicare Advantage plans sold by Aetna, and President Joe Biden is asking state and local governments to offer individuals $100 payments in exchange for COVID-19 vaccinations. 

Ochsner Lafayette (La.) General Orthopedic Hospital temporarily closed Aug. 5 for surgery to redeploy staff to care for COVID-19 patients.

Healthcare providers have given Becker's insight on a number of topics, ranging from Health IT to COVID-19.

Englewood, Colo.-based Dry Creek Surgery Center performed its first robotic bilateral hernia procedure using the da Vinci Xi robotic system, partner organization Surgical Care Affiliates said Aug. 4. 

As hospitals and health systems respond to more aggressive patient and payer demands for lower cost surgical options, the number of hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) converting to freestanding joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and hospitals and health systems opening new joint-venture ASCs continues to increase.