Four ASC owners, operators and developers are joining forces to form Ker Leader Medical — a surgery center development company focused on aligning independent ASCs.
Longtime ASC owner-operators, Mark Quigley and John Webb, along with ASC developer Woodrow Moore and analyst Arjun Gangakhedkar, started Ker Medical, which aims to create a network of independent ASCs, earlier this year.
Their model is a response to ASC physician investor concerns and current market forces, Mr. Moore said in an interview with Becker's, factoring in "what has historically pleased and also made surgeon-owners concerned with their existing management, equity and/or health system partners."
As the fragmented ASC industry begins to consolidate, Ker Medical allows for a consolidation alternative, Mr. Moore said. By focusing on independence, ASCs can refrain from losing autonomy from payers and large partners, while maintaining leverage.
The model allows for "control of equity, management, operations and real estate" from ASC startup stages to possible exit stages, Mr. Moore said, particularly for those "who do not want to involve large intrusive institutional management, equity or health system partners in the partnership and facility development phase."
"The importance of ASC viability is a huge issue for the access for patients and patient choice or quality care across the country," Mr. Moore said. "With numerous hospital consolidations patients are left with less access and less choice. Obviously, it is a well-established fact that ASCs deliver the highest quality as a group."