Here are five controversies involving ASC closures, lawsuits or opposition that Becker's has reported on since April 10:
1. Burlington-based University of Vermont Medical Center's president and COO, Stephen Leffler, MD, penned a letter to the community encouraging support for a new $130 million ASC despite pushback from other organizations. Opposition to the center is coming from two rural hospitals — Copley Hospital in Morrisville, Vt., and Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans, Vt. — and from AFT-VT Healthcare, a union representing 5,000 healthcare workers.
2. Anesthesiologist Ellis Clark, MD, filed a lawsuit against Optum-affiliated Salem (Ore.) Surgery Center, which operates under the name Northbank Surgical Center, for allegedly firing him in retaliation for complaining about unsafe anesthesia practices.
3. The Royal Oak (Mich.) Planning Commission denied a proposal from Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Corewell Health to open an ASC and medical office building. The facility was denied on a 6-1 vote, but the commission postponed action to give Corewell time to work out concerns with the proposed development.
4. A class-action lawsuit was filed against New York City-based Island Ambulatory Surgery Center following a recent patient data breach. On April 5, Island ASC notified its patients that certain data — including patient names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, medical information and health insurance information — may have been impacted during a July security breach.
5. Raynaldo Ortiz Jr., MD, a former anesthesiologist at Baylor Scott & White Surgicare North Dallas, was found guilty on 10 counts of tampering with IV bags and the adulteration of drugs. Dr. Ortiz was accused of injecting drugs into five IV bags and putting them in a warming bin in August 2022. Four patients suffered cardiac emergencies as a result.