Brooklyn, N.Y.-based SUNY Downstate Medical Center postponed some nonemergency procedures and moved outpatient surgeries after the state's COVID-19 vaccination mandate amplified staffing shortages, according to a recent Gothamist report. 

Staff at Quincy (Ill.) Physicians and Surgeons Clinic filed for a temporary restraining order against their employer, claiming that requiring a COVID-19 vaccine to continue employment infringes Illinois law, according to Edgar County Watchdogs.

In recent months, several payer groups have adopted policies designed to shift elective procedures, including joint replacement surgeries, to ASCs. From private insurers to CMS, migrating these procedures to ASCs is an attractive option as they seek to control costs. On top of this, the nation’s population is aging, with nearly 20 percent of Americans expected to be over the age of 65 by 2030.1 For ASCs, this momentum shift will create challenges as they look to meet this potential increased patient demand on facilities.

Staffing shortages amid COVID-19 surges and supply chain disruptions are two of the biggest upcoming concerns for ASCs. 

Developers broke ground Sept. 30 on a two-building medical office campus that will include an Austin Gastroenterology clinic and surgery center in Leander, Texas.

While the CDC estimates the number of newly reported COVID-19 cases will soon drop, hospitals nationally are still struggling amid staffing shortages and capacity concerns. 

The shift of total joints and orthopedic cases from the hospital to the ASC is becoming more predominant based on several driving factors such as increased surgeon autonomy, favorable outpatient payer policies, advances in medical technology, and improved health literacy among the patient population. Surgeons who were initially undecided are now looking for ways to capitalize on this shift. However, with all the critical requirements to establish a successful outpatient total joint program, many are left wondering where to begin.

Healthcare providers have spoken with Becker's on a number of topics this month, including technology at ASCs and physician shortages.

Glen Rock, Penn.-based Blue Cloud Pediatric Surgery Centers received a $15 million credit facility from CIBC Innovation Banking, the global financial services firm said Sept. 29.

Private equity firms were the buyer in 63 percent of second-quarter deals, according to a Bass Berry & Sims report published in JDSupra.

Summit Orthopedics has a major presence in Minnesota's Twin Cities with four ASCs, about 30 orthopedic locations and about 860 employees.

Health insurance companies generate revenue through the premiums they charge, the number of policies they write, the services they sell and the number of businesses in which they operate.

Early-career physicians continue to favor employed opportunities over private practice as declining reimbursements, steep medical school debt and the cost of malpractice insurance premiums remain key factors driving career choices, according to the "Medscape Young Physician Compensation Report 2021."

Oakland Athletics shortstop Elvis Andrus underwent procedures Sept. 29 at the Trinity Park Surgical Center in Arlington, Texas, to treat a fractured leg.

North Carolina officials rejected Pinehurst (N.C.) Surgical Center's petition to build a $6 million to $12 million ASC in Sanford, WRAL.com reported Sept. 29.

A new law that took effect Sept. 1 in Texas aims to ease the administrative burdens that insurance companies place on physicians, but some payers have voiced their opposition to the legislation, claiming it will put more patients at risk.

The U.S. is expected to reach a shortage of 37,800 to 124,000 physicians by 2034, and more than 2 of 5 active physicians will be older than 65 in the next decade.

Allentown, Pa.-based Lehigh Valley Physicians Group agreed a deal to acquire a multispecialty group, but a motion filed by two area hospitals could halt the sale, The Morning Call reported Sept. 28.

Intermountain Healthcare launched an outpatient imaging company that will offer flat-rate prices and open three outpatient imaging centers. 

Technology can be crucial to how an ASC manages everyday operations, such as scheduling and patient communication.