North American Partners in Anesthesia is expanding its anesthesia services through a partnership with Elkton, Md.-based ChristianaCare Union Hospital, the anesthesia provider said Jan. 5.

Time is money for ASCs, but patient care must always be the No. 1 priority. The use of opioid-free anesthesia can provide quality pain control while reducing postoperative complications for patients and allow for improved productivity for surgery centers, according to a study published in Urology in Pediatrics.

CMS is making it harder for anesthesiologists to get reimbursed for epidural steroid injections, Tony Mira, Anesthesia Business Consultants' president and CEO, said in a recent blog post. 

Shifts in patient demographics are impacting anesthesia practice's revenue, Tony Mira, Anesthesia Business Consultants' president and CEO, said in a recent blog post. 

Readers wanted to hear what anesthesia leaders had to say in 2021. Six of Becker's ASC Review's top 10 most-read anesthesia stories this year focused on the insights of anesthesia CEOs.

Melville, N.Y.-based North American Partners in Anesthesia and Irving, Texas-based NorthStar Anesthesia formed the most health system and ASC partnerships in 2021, with eight apiece.

CRH Medical, a subsidiary of Well Health, was the most active anesthesia company in 2021 by number of acquisitions with seven.

Billings Clinic has contracted with Gallatin Valley Anesthesia Associates to provide services at its new ASC that will open in mid-2022, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported Dec. 9.

The average anesthesiologist makes $402,283 a year, according to the "2021 Physician and Advanced Practice Salary Report" by LocumTenens.com.

Irving, Texas-based NorthStar Anesthesia has acquired Epix Anesthesia, the company said Nov. 30. 

Here are four anesthesiology lawsuits Becker's has reported on this year:

Hospitals are facing a looming anesthesia provider shortage as a consequence of converging demographic, organizational, care delivery and compensation-related factors. How hospitals respond to this crisis is crucial to keeping operating rooms open and profitable.

The consolidation of corporate networks and the need for financial support to meet service requirements has changed the way anesthesia services are negotiated, Tony Mira, Anesthesia Business Consultants' president and CEO, said in a recent blog post. 

When surgical schedules run off course, anesthesia providers are often left to document the delays to secure reimbursements. 

Three anesthesia providers and several Georgia ASCs, along with their physician-owners and an administrator, agreed to pay more than $28 million to resolve allegations that they entered kickback agreements, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia said Nov. 9. 

Healthcare research firm Black Book Market Research named North American Partners in Anesthesia its 2021 top-ranked anesthesia management services vendor, NAPA said in a Nov. 5 news release.

Here are the top 10 anesthesiology residency programs, from Doximity's 2021-2022 Residency Navigator:

Surprise billing legislation appears to coincide with decreased reimbursements to anesthesiologists, a recent analysis found. Here is more on that study and four other anesthesia industry updates to know: 

Reimbursements paid to anesthesiologists in hospital outpatient departments and ASCs decreased after state surprise billing legislation was passed, according to an analysis published in JAMA Network Open.

Practice management has become a critical aspect of anesthesiology, particularly with payer and facility contracting.