This year resulted in a number of accomplishments for some of the largest ASC companies, including United Surgical Partners International, SurgCenter Development, Surgery Partners and Surgical Care Affiliates.
The chains forged new partnerships, acquired new companies and expanded their national footprints.
Highlights of each ASC chain's accomplishments this year:
United Surgical Partners International (Addison, Texas)
USPI's expansion was supported early in the year after its parent company, Tenet Healthcare, renewed its partnership with HealthTrust, a national group purchasing organization.
USPI brought in $666 million in net operating revenue for the third quarter, a 17.8 percent increase from $565 million in the same period last year. The ASC chain completed more than 535,000 musculoskeletal procedures this year and doubled its joint replacement surgeries from the year prior. As of the third quarter, the company had added 1,700 physicians. It also agreed to acquire Compass Surgical Partners' ownership and management interests in nine ASCs in October, representing a 20 percent ownership interest.
USPI is ending the year with a $1.2 billion acquisition of Towson, Md.-based SurgCenter Development and its more than 90 ASCs in 21 states. The transaction will expand USPI's network to more than 440 surgical facilities in 35 states, making it the largest ASC chain in the U.S.
SurgCenter Development (Towson, Md.)
Before the company was acquired by USPI in November, SurgCenter Development opened ASCs in several states. In July, it wrapped up construction of a 7,175-square-foot facility in East Lansing, Mich., and opened a 6,800-square-foot ASC in Crown Point, Ind., in May.
In March, several principals of SurgCenter Development were lead investors in biologics company Mesoblast's private placement of $110 million. The chain's chief strategy officer Philip Facchina joined Mesoblast's board.
Surgery Partners (Nashville)
Surgery Partners began the year with a 16.2 percent increase in year-over-year revenue during its first quarter.
In addition to winning $45 million in a settlement against HIG Capital and Bain Capital Investors, the company landed a partnership with Orange, Calif.-based UCI Health to expand outpatient surgery access for about 4 million residents. The partnership allows UCI Health patients access to local Surgery Partners ASCs for care.
The company also increased its volume of total joint replacements by about 108 percent and robotics cases by 62 percent this year to date compared to last year. In its third quarter, the ASC chain reported a 23.1 percent jump in revenue compared to the same period last year.
In November, Surgery Partners grossed $320.9 million in closing its public offering of 6.9 million shares, beating its initial projection by $41.9 million. It finished the year with a network of 4,000 affiliated physicians and 127 surgical facilities.
Surgical Care Affiliates (Deerfield, Ill.)
Surgical Care Affiliates landed two partnerships this year. The company collaborated with Minneapolis-based Allina Health to build a surgery center in Brooklyn Park, Minn. It also opened the first cardiovascular ASC in Colorado as part of a joint venture with Denver-based Vascular Institute of the Rockies; Denver-based Advanced Heart & Vein Center; and Denver Interventional and Vascular Labs of the Rockies. Eighty of SCA's facilities were named among the best in America by Newsweek in October, and the company launched a website in September for its Physician Development Institute, an educational platform for musculoskeletal physicians and allied health professionals. Additionally, SCA acquired Global 1, a bundled payment convener.
The company made several leadership appointments to guide it through new initiatives, including Oren Shill as group president of its West Coast operating division, Jennifer Schaab as first group vice president of enterprise strategy, Lisa Sinsel as vice president of clinical quality, Ezra Erb as vice president of clinical quality and growth for the group's Midwest operating division and Abbey Watkins as vice president of clinical quality for its Southeast operating division. It also appointed Lor Lee as its first senior diversity, inclusion and belonging director.