A major cyberattack rocked the healthcare industry in February when Optum's Change Healthcare was hit by a ransomware gang that claims to have stolen massive amounts of patient data. 

Small, independent ASCs are facing several challenges in 2024, including competition for labor and rising wages, making it difficult for ASCs to compete with larger health systems. 

Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, parent company of ASC giant United Surgical Partners International, is investing $450 million into growing its ambulatory business in 2024, according to its April 30 first-quarter earnings call. 

Georgia has been named the worst state for healthcare by Forbes due to its failure to meet several key metrics spanning categories of healthcare access, healthcare outcomes, healthcare cost and quality of hospital care.

A laboratory marketer in addition to three physicians and their medical practices have agreed to pay a total of $1,373,400 to resolve alleged False Claims Act violations stemming from their involvement in laboratory kickback schemes.

A cardiologist is suing St. Louis-based CoxHealth, alleging the system wrongfully terminated his privileges and reported that he was a threat to the public, the Springfield News-Leader reported April 30. 

A Weston, Fla.-based physician was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for running a pill mill. 

Washington is the best state for nurses, according to personal finance site WalletHub.

Here are three lawsuits involving ASCs that Becker's has reported on since April 4: 

Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health has its sights set on the ASC market.

The shift to outpatient settings is gaining momentum in healthcare, as ambulatory service centers increasingly are recognized as efficient, high-quality and convenient sites of care. ASCs provide significant cost savings compared to traditional hospitals, along with faster patient recovery. Despite these advantages, however, payer reimbursements continue to decrease.

Grappling with the financial aspects of ASC management is not to be taken lightly — however, there are a few essential approaches that should be part of any financial management strategy.

Overland Park, Kan., was found to be the city with the best overall healthcare services according to personal finance website WalletHub, and mid-career surgeons in the area earn an average annual salary of $360,649.

Columbus, Ga., was found to be the city with the worst overall healthcare services according to personal finance website WalletHub, and mid-career surgeons in the area earn an average annual salary of $371,418.

Arkansas woman Alicia Flanagan, 55, has been arrested for allegedly impersonating another individual to get healthcare jobs despite not having a license or degree, according to an April 25 report from CBS affiliate News 5.

In 2022, the "quiet quitting" trend swept companies as Gen Z employees began lightening their workloads in an attempt to back away from work commitments. 

Some of the ASC industry's biggest players — AmSurg, HCA Healthcare, SCA Health, Surgery Partners and United Surgical Partners International — have seen explosive growth in the last year.

Here are five new milestones achieved by ASCs since April 2:

Nurse practitioners earn the highest annual wage in the business support services industry, according to updated data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Physician assistant base pay jumped 5.8% from 2022 to 2023, according to the "2024 American Academy of Physician Associates Digital Salary Report," which surveyed 12,207 PAs.