Here are five key notes about the recent rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations:

The drug class that includes Ozempic, Wegovy and other obesity care treatments has grown in popularity over the last year, affecting several ASC specialties. 

Oklahoma City-based law firm Federman & Sherwood has initiated an investigation into a November data breach that impacted employees and patients of Mount Kisco (N.Y.) Surgery Center. 

Oswego (N.Y.) Health's Surgery Center has performed its first robotically assisted surgery, according to a July 9 report from CNY Central.

Amid staffing recruiting and retention issues for ASCs, investing in nurse leadership is one way to ensure staff remains engaged and retained. 

Several Texas hospitals have temporarily closed outpatient services in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, The Houston Chronicle reported July 9. 

Here are five physician practice closures Becker's has reported on in the last year:

Greenville-based Quasar Family Medicine North Carolina has filed a complaint that its lead physician concealed his drug overprescription and fraudulent billing to push the sale of his practice to another physician and then turn patients against the new owner. 

HCA Healthcare, SCA Health, Surgery Partners and United Surgical Partners International held a total of about 18% of the ASC market in the U.S. at the end of 2023 — but are they growing in terms of surgical volumes?

Brentwood, Tenn.-based ASC operator Surgery Partners has established itself as a leader of the outpatient surgery market and is the third-largest ASC operator in the U.S.

A physician with a St. Louis office and two employees have been accused of illegally prescribing controlled substances and healthcare fraud.

Cleveland, Ohio, is the most stressed out city in the U.S., according to WalletHub's 2024's Most & Least Stressed Cities in America, published July 8.

Hilo Community Surgery Center in Hawaii was slated for closure — until Frederick Nitta, MD, took over as CEO.

The teams responsible for day-to-day ASC operations often have a strong clinical background, but they may find it overwhelming to review financial data. By applying a few simple strategies, it's possible to unlock insights from financial statements that can help ASCs grow and thrive.

On June 1, Walmart Health officially shuttered all of its clinic and virtual care options, after a tumultuous two years. 

A Seattle-based plastic surgery center was fined $5 million for threatening patients with illegal nondisclosure agreements and falsifying online reviews to inflate their surgeon owners' reputation, according to a July 2 news release from Washington's Office of the Attorney General. 

Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare is a major player in the ASC market, operating 124 ASCs through its outpatient surgery business Surgery Ventures. HCA is affiliated with more than 45,000 physicians and operates 186 hospitals nationwide. 

For the last five years, the same five physician specialties have traded spots in the lowest-paying slots of Medscape's annual compensation report. 

Home health companies Guardian Health Care, Gem City Home Care and Care Connection of Cincinnati have agreed to pay $4.5 million to settle claims they provided kickbacks to physicians and assisted living facilities for Medicare referrals.

Median monthly physician practice expenses exceeded $1 million for the first time in May, according to a report from Strata's Monthly Healthcare Industry Financial Benchmarks.