Columbia, S.C., is the city with the most job opportunities, while North Las Vegas, Nev., has the fewest, according to personal finance site WalletHub. 

A high salary is the most important factor for nurses when choosing a healthcare employer, according to a report on what nurses value at work published by healthcare talent firm Adfire Health. 

The most common reason physicians reject an offer from a prospective employer is because of a low compensation rate, according to a report on what physicians value at work published by healthcare talent firm Adfire Health. 

New York has been named the most expensive state to start a business in for 2024 by business consulting firm Venture Smarter. 

Troy, Ohio-based Upper Valley Medical Center will discontinue its labor and delivery unit Feb. 29 because of physician recruitment issues and a declining birth rate, CBS affiliate WHIO reported Jan. 9. 

Hawaii has been named the top state for both physical and mental health in 2024, according to data compiled from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute in Madison. 

Florida's House Select Committee on Health Innovation has unanimously passed a House bill that would require Florida hospitals and ASCs to go surgical smoke-free by Jan. 1, 2025, according to a Jan. 16 report from Florida Politics. 

A court has ruled in favor of an ASC, a certified registered nurse anesthetist and an anesthesiologist who were sued by a patient who had a complication with a sleep apnea procedure that put her in a medically induced coma for nearly two weeks, Virginia Lawyers Weekly reported Jan. 16. 

Providence, R.I.-based Lifespan Health System named Cindy Peterson as executive vice president of ambulatory care. 

Ashland, Ore.-based Asante Health System and one of its physicians have agreed to pay $430,000 to settle allegations that they knowingly submitted false claims for cardiothoracic surgeries to federal health programs. 

Massachusetts has the lowest quit rate among employees compared to any other state, with a quit rate of 1.38% a month as a percentage of total employment, according to research from HR tech company SelectSoftware Reviews based on 2023 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Mississippi has the least amount of people looking to start a small business in 2024, according to a Jan. 16 report from business information site The Small Business Blog. 

Mississippi is the state with the lowest labor costs, while Maryland is the state with the highest, according to personal finance site WalletHub.

About 20% of physicians took less than one week of vacation in the last year, according to a Jan. 15 report from Medscape based on a study published in JAMA Network Open. 

Utah is the best state to start a business, while Rhode Island is the worst, according to personal finance site WalletHub.

Independent ASCs have unique challenges to face when navigating the industry.

As the field of medicine faces an exodus of physicians, plummeting job satisfaction and skyrocketing costs, the future of healthcare may seem grim. However, ASCs have an opportunity larger hospitals and health systems do not.

In October, Newsweek released its annual list of the top 550 ASCs in the U.S. for 2024, assigning each facility with a percentage-based score out of 100. 

Many physicians are wary of the rapid growth of Optum, the country's largest employer of physicians and parent company of ASC chain SCA Health. 

The Office of the Inspector General weighed in on whether a consultant providing gift cards to physicians for referrals is considered a kickback.