Hospitals and health systems aren't the only healthcare organizations feeling the heat from financial and staffing struggles. Several ASCs have closed in 2023 for those very reasons and more.
Here is a timeline of 2023's ASC closures and what caused them:
February
- In February, the Salem (Ore.) Outpatient Surgery Center closed its doors in response to low patient volumes, putting all future plans on hold. "As with all things COVID-related, we have had to make difficult decisions as circumstances differ from our pre-pandemic expectations. Salem Health has become the sole owner of the surgery center and owns the building. At this time, the future of the surgery center is undecided and will be incorporated into future strategic planning discussions," Salem Health said in a release. Months later, the building still remains shuttered.
March
- Marble Falls, Texas-based Hill Country Memorial Surgery Center closed March 31. The closure came after a November 2022 announcement that Hill Country Memorial Hospital was acquired by San Antonio Methodist Hospital. Amanda Stevens, chief strategy officer for Hill Country Memorial Hospital, told dailytrib.com that the acquisition had nothing to do with the decision to close the center.
- Phoenix-based Banner Health's surgery center in Loveland, Colo., closed March 31. The decision to close Banner Surgery Center-Skyline's doors "was made to better align outpatient surgery services for physicians and patients in Loveland, and Larimer and Weld counties," according to a statement issued by Banner and management company Atlas Healthcare Partners. The statement also said there was a "duplication of services" between the Skyline location and another ASC in Loveland, the Loveland Reporter-Herald reported.
- The ASC at Hudson, Fla.-based Bonati Spine Institute was shut down after the state suspended its license. According to Florida healthcare regulators, a certified surgical technologist, rather than a licensed physician, was performing procedures. The ASC allegedly knowingly allowed the unlicensed person to perform procedures. The ASC has since reopened after paying a fine and submitting a corrective action plan.
April
- Cabell Huntington Hospital, a member of Mountain Health Network, closed its outpatient surgery center April 28 and phased out home health services in West Virginia. The hospital cut the services in response to declining patient volumes and decreased financial performance in the wake of the pandemic.
June
- Lockport, N.Y.-based Eastern Niagara Health System's ASC closed its doors on June 17 but reopened immediately under Catholic Health management. In November 2019, Eastern Niagara Health System filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
October
- Asheville, N.C.-based GenesisCare Surgical Specialists closed Oct. 20 after its private equity-backed management company GenesisCare filed for bankruptcy.