ASCs might just be the golden ticket hospitals have been searching for.
Over the past few years, hospitals and health systems have shown an increased interest in the ASC market.
Forty-seven percent of hospitals and health systems have an affiliation or ownership interest in multiple freestanding ASCs, according to the 2023 "Hospital Leadership ASC Survey," conducted by ASC expert group Avanza Healthcare Strategies.
A survey from VMG Health showed that 60% of health systems would consider a joint venture partnership with ASCs in 2024.
So where is the interest in ASCs coming from?
"ASCs often have lower operating costs than their hospital counterparts primarily due to the reduced expenses associated with fewer staff, less supplies and smaller facilities," Shannon Simmons, program manager of ambulatory infection prevention and control for Christus Health in Dallas, told Becker's. "This economic opportunity has enticed healthcare systems, who have been known to primarily operate hospitals, to procure partnerships in the ambulatory healthcare space to capitalize on this shift in healthcare services. Healthcare systems buying into the ambulatory healthcare space may contribute to the aggressive growth of ambulatory healthcare facilities in the coming years, as these systems strategize to combat the projected economic downturn."