Hospitals and health systems have turned their heads toward the ASC industry as a new opportunity for growth.
In 2023, Becker's reported on 55 hospitals and health systems that have opened or have plans to open ASCs.
This trend shows no sign of slowing in 2024, with 60% of health systems considering outpatient surgery joint venture partnerships this year, according to a VMG Health survey.
Health systems including Louisville, Ky.-based Baptist Health and Montrose (Colo.) Regional Health already have big plans for new ASCs in the next few months.
Some health systems have taken partnerships to the next level by partnering with ASC chains such as Surgery Partners to develop ASCs.
In April 2023, Columbus-based OhioHealth and Surgery Partners formed a company to grow ASC joint ventures across the state of Ohio. Also in April, Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health and Surgery Partners signed a collaboration agreement in which Surgery Partners will take over management of Intermountain's existing ASCs in Utah and Idaho and will develop more ASCs in other select markets.
In August 2023, Surgery Partners formed a strategic partnership with Dallas-based Methodist Health System in which the company acquired a minority interest in three of Methodist's ASCs and manages them. The company plans to expand the health system's footprint in North Texas by acquiring and developing new ASCs.
As the benefits of ASCs become more widely recognized, more and more hospitals and health systems will want to capitalize on that success for themselves.