Cardiology procedures are increasingly moving outpatient, and ASCs performing them stand to earn big reimbursements. 

Quincy (Ill.) Medical Group Surgery Center is the first freestanding ASC in Illinois to perform a cardiac catheterization, according to a March 7 news release shared with Becker's.

Forty-two percent of cardiologists reported experiencing burnout, with most of that 42 percent citing too many bureaucratic tasks, according to Medscape's 2022 "Cardiologists Lifestyle, Happiness & Burnout Report" released Feb. 18.

Banner Health's North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley, Colo., performed its first robotic-assisted mitral heart valve repair.

A Texas cardiologist called for a physician poaching lawsuit to be dismissed, and a judge dismissed a St. Louis cardiology practice's suit against a nearby health system.

The aftermath of contracting COVID-19 can negatively affect heart health, but one cardiologist has been at the forefront of treating those patients, according to a 12 News article.

Cardiology procedures are growing rapidly at ASCs, with many single-specialty cardiology ASCs popping up nationwide. 

Ricardo Cigarroa, MD, the Laredo (Texas) Medical Center and its physicians group urged a federal judge Feb. 9 to dismiss a hospital's suit accusing the group of poaching doctors and monopolizing the area's cardiology market, according to a Law360 report. 

Median cardiologist pay hit $459,000, the third highest-earning specialty in 2021, according to Physicians Thrive's "2022 Physician Compensation Report."

ASC leaders expect cardiology procedures to be critical to ASC growth, with the procedures offering strong reimbursement rates and improved patient experiences. 

A Houma, La.-based practice became the first ASC in the country to implant Biotronik's Orsiro Mission coronary artery drug eluting stent. 

The derailing of plans for an Alabama vascular ASC and risk-based deal between Medtronic and Spectrum Health are among five noteworthy cardiology moves in the last 12 months.

A judge has dismissed St. Louis Heart and Vascular's lawsuit against SSM Health seeking millions of dollars in damages after the health system terminated the physicians' privileges.

Here are five updates in cardiology from the last month:

Summit Health and the Pulse Heart Institute are joining to expand cardiac care in Oregon, Summit Health said recently.

Orlando, Fla.-based physician management services organization Cardiovascular Associates of America launched Dec. 14, the company said in a news release.

Greater Pittsburgh Vascular Associates has opened two new Pittsburgh-area locations, the company said Dec. 9.

Cardiology procedures are one of the biggest opportunities for growth for ASCs — with cardiovascular procedures in outpatient settings estimated to grow from 10 percent to as much as 35 percent by the mid-2020s.

Oklahoma City-based Cardiovascular Health Clinic is partnering with New York City-based healthcare investment firm Assured Healthcare Partners, the firm said in a Nov. 15 news release.

The Guardian, an implantable acute coronary syndrome event detector, has qualified for CMS' transitional pass-through payment as part of the 2022 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System.