Here are 30 things for healthcare leaders to note from the past month:
Global ASC market to hit $80.2B this year
The market will likely total $80.2 billion by the end of 2017. Some of the companies operating in the market include Surgical Care Affiliates, Hospital Corporation of America, Surgery Partners, Team Health and Mednax.
Young patient dies following dental procedure at California ASC
A three-year-old patient died after undergoing a dental procedure at Stockton, Calif.-based Children's Dental Surgery Center. The patient went to the surgery center to have a dentist pull two teeth and place caps on two other teeth. Children's Dental Surgery Center Administrator David Thompson told Fox40 the patient had a reaction to the anesthetics and her heart stopped. Providers stabilized the patient and sent her to Orange, Calif.-based Saint Joseph's Hospital.
SCA partners with multispecialty Connecticut ASC
Surgical Care Affiliates made an equity investment in Danbury-based Western Connecticut Orthopedic Surgery Center, effective May 1. Western Connecticut Orthopedic Surgery Center is a multispecialty ASC with 14 physician partners.
Medical Facilities Corp. President and CEO Britt Reynolds departs
Medical Facilities Corp. President and CEO Britt T. Reynolds left the company and resigned from the board. The company named Jeffrey Lozon interim CEO.
Construction begins on Idaho surgery center
Arco, Idaho-based Lost Rivers Medical Center began construction on its new surgical center in Arco. LRMC expects construction to finish around summer 2018.
Indianapolis surgery center evacuated after bomb threat, suspect arrested
Indianapolis-based Community Health Network had to evacuate its Community North campus after a man made several threats about a bomb being inside its surgery center on June 15. The health system security apprehended the suspect, and police performed a sweep of the building.
Orthopaedic Specialty Group opens Connecticut facility with ASC
Orthopaedic Specialty Group opened a new 50,000-square-foot building in Fairfield, Conn., which houses Fairfield Surgery Center. Orthopaedic Specialty Group, a 24-physician and seven-physician assistant private practice, opened the facility this past September as a flagship to three satellite offices and three orthopedic walk-in centers.
SurgCenter Development completes 20k TJRs
SurgCenter Development completed its 20,000th joint replacement since launching its joint replacement program in 2013. In 2016, SurgCenter centers performed nearly 7,000 joint replacements.
Fire breaks out at Virginia building with ASC
A fire broke out at Charlottesville, Va.-based Sentara Martha Jefferson Outpatient Care Center, causing the building's ASC to shut its doors temporarily. The fire caused nearly $268,000 in damage.
Planners break ground on Maryland ASC
Trammell Crow and Meadow Partners broke ground on a new five-story medical pavilion in National Harbor, Md. It will house an ASC and will offer other services including wellness, orthopedics and dermatology, among others.
Bryn Mawr Hospital's orthopedic ASC marks major milestone with 1st surgery
Bryn Mawr (Pa.) Hospital recently opened an orthopedic surgery center. The center is on the fourth floor of a $15 million building and features nine operating rooms.
The CDC, The Joint Commission team up on ambulatory infection prevention project
The Joint Commission and the CDC are collaborating on CDC guidelines related to preventing infections in ambulatory health settings. The Adaptation and Dissemination Outpatient Infection PrevenTion guidance project is consulting with 12 outpatient-focused professional organizations and 11 ambulatory systems to create new infection prevention guidelines.
Novant Health appeals CON denial for ASC operating room
North Carolina-based Novant Health appealed the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services' decision to deny the health system's proposal to build an ASC with an operating room in Leland, N.C. The state approved North Carolina-based EmergeOrtho's proposal to build a $4.2 million ASC with one operating room and two procedure rooms in Leland earlier in May.
Kentucky judge grants CON ASC approval to The Christ Hospital
A Kentucky administrative law judge approved Cincinnati-based The Christ Hospital's certificate-of-need application to build an ASC in Fort Mitchell, Ky. Kentucky-based St. Elizabeth Healthcare opposes the surgery center and plans to appeal the decision.
ASC investors, Vermont hospitals clash again regarding investor meeting with regulators
The debate over the Green Mountain Surgery Center proposal continues with those opposing sending a letter to Vermont regulators June 6, arguing ASC investors should not receive additional face time with the regulators. Nearly two years ago, ASC investors submitted a proposal to build Green Mountain Surgery Center in Burlington, Vt., sparking opposition from Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems. The association said the ASC will boost costs and provide unnecessary duplicate services.
ASC plans coming down the pipeline following Rothman Institute, NueHealth and Jefferson Health's partnership with Main Line Health
Philadelphia-based Rothman Institute added another investor to own a portion of Bryn Mawr, Pa.-based Physicians Care Surgical Hospital, with future plans including a surgery center.
Wills Eye Hospital possibly 1 step closer to getting designation changed from ASC to hospital
CMS administrator Seema Verma sent a letter to Philadelphia-based Wills Eye Hospital saying the agency is reviewing their hospital surveyor guidance to assess whether Wills Eye should have a hospital or ASC designation. Under Medicare, Wills Eye is classified as an ASC and has had that designation since July 2006 when it sold its inpatient business. Wills Eyes has sought a hospital designation since 2013 when it finished a renovation including a four-bed inpatient unit.
Physicians Endoscopy buys into Great South Bay Endoscopy
Physicians Endoscopy purchased a minority stake in East Patchogue, N.Y.-based Great South Bay Endoscopy. Great South Bay Endoscopy is a two-room ASC. It opened in 2014 and performs more than 5,000 annual cases. The center has five physicians.
ASCA Healthcare Asset Network to create online shopping portal
Ambulatory Surgery Center Association and Healthcare Asset Network partnered to create ASCA Asset Network, a secure online portal allowing ASCs to buy and sell healthcare supplies and equipment. The network is streamlined and vetted for new and refurbished equipment.
HealthEast to acquire minority interest in Summit Orthopedics' ASC
St. Paul, Minn.-based HealthEast and Minnesota-based Summit Orthopedics formed a deal that gives HealthEast a minority interest in Summit's Vadnais Heights (Minn.) Surgery Center. The surgery center has The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval for Advanced Certification for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement.
Physicians largely paid based on volume
Despite the industry emphasizing the need to tie payments to value, fee-for-service is still the name of the game, according to a Merritt Hawkins survey. From 2016 to 2017, quality scores comprised 4 percent of overall physician compensation, begging the question as to whether this figure was enough to improve physician performance.
UCHealth expanding in Denver through new ASC
UCHealth is building a new five-story building which includes an ASC. In addition to the surgery center, providers will offer cancer care, women's care as well as primary and advanced care.
Ochsner Health System to invest $100M in expansion plans including surgery center
New Orleans-based Ochsner Health System is undergoing major expansions in Baton Rouge, La., including adding a surgery center and a 10-bed micro-hospital. The health system has plans to invest more than $100 million to expand its facilities.
Excela Health CEO outlines future outpatient strategy, including new $40M center
Excela Health in Greensburg, Ga., is opening a new outpatient care center next January at Excela Square at Latrobe.
University of Maryland Shore Regional Health has plan to include ASC in new Maryland facility
Planners broke ground on Cambridge (Md.) Marketplace June 6. Easton-based University of Maryland Shore Regional Health has presented plans to build a new medical pavilion in the facility. The plans include a building that would house an ASC in addition to imaging, X-ray, laboratory, rehabilitation and diagnostic services.
DISC Sports & Spine Center serving as medical provider in America's 35th yacht race
ORACLE TEAM USA selected Marina Del Rey, Calif.-based DISC Sports & Spine Center to serve as their official medical provider in the 35th America's Cup, a yacht race.
Boston Scientific continues to pour money into endoscopy
Trefis analysts believe Boston Scientific's endoscopy division makes up 20 percent of its total portfolio. Boston Scientific has several flexible endoscopes which are the market's leading driver.
American Medical Association appoints Dr. David Barbe president
American Medical Association named David Barbe, MD, the 172nd president of the association. As president, he plans to bolster the AMA's strategy to enhance outcomes for patients with pre-diabetes and hypertension. He also aims to improve medical school education to better prepare incoming physicians for the healthcare landscape.
Ambulatory Surgery Center of Manhattan names Dr. David Levine medical director
The Ambulatory Surgery Center of Manhattan named David S. Levine, MD, medical director. New York City-based Hospital for Special Surgery will open the Ambulatory Surgery Center of Manhattan in July.
Delaware health system plans surgery center
Lewes, Del.-based Beebe Healthcare is planning to open a specialty surgery center in Rehoboth, Del. The surgery center will be part of a $180 million expansion that'll see the health system open a freestanding emergency department and a cancer center in Tunnell, Conn., the surgery center in Rehoboth and a full-service satellite facility in Millville, Conn.