The last 12 months saw major regulatory changes for the field of gastroenterology, from new FDA approvals to sweeping statewide and national legislation. 

More than 20 states increased minimum wage on Jan. 1, increasing wages for more than nine million workers by a total of nearly $6 billion, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

President-elect Donald Trump recently said that current Federal Trade Commissioner Andrew Ferguson will be the next chair of the commission. He has also nominated Mark Meador to take over for outgoing Chairperson Lina Khan, creating a Republican majority on the FTC.

A physician based in Fredericksburg, Texas, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay $26.6 million in restitution for his involvement in a $70 million Medicare fraud scheme. 

Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health has entered into a seven-year partnership with Arlington Heights, Ill.-based GE HealthCare to enhance imaging services across California. 

Clearwater, Fla.-based Lincare, a medical equipment company, has been ordered to pay $1.15 million to reimburse Washington's Medicaid program for alleged fraudulent overbilling of leased oxygen equipment. 

U.S. News & World Report has named the role of nurse practitioner as the best job in the U.S. for 2025 for the second year in a row. 

Currently, certified registered nurse anesthetists provide a large percent of anesthesia services nationwide annually, especially in rural areas. 

Slidell, La.-based chiropractor Dennis Peyroux pleaded guilty on Jan. 8 to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, admitting to a $3.2 million scheme that billed Medicare for over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits that were not requested.

Here are five ASC companies, facilities and joint ventures to watch in 2025, as reported by Becker's:

Winston Salem, N.C.-based Atrium Health Wake Forest (N.C.) Baptist has received state approval to open a $25 million ASC, the Winston-Salem Journal reported Jan. 15.

Colleen Schmitt, MD, has been named president of the GI Quality Improvement Consortium, an endoscopic registry and GI benchmarking tool that is jointly managed by the American College of Gastroenterology and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

Three physicians and two lab marketers have agreed to pay a total of $1,137,914 to resolve allegations they took part in laboratory kickback schemes. 

Tulare, Calif.-based Hapy Bear Surgery Center has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit alleging that it failed to properly protect patient data, resulting in a 2023 data breach, according to a Jan. 14 report from Top Class Actions.

NextGen Healthcare has unveiled a gastro suite that brings gastroenterology-specific workflows into NextGen's electronic health records system. 

UC Davis (Calif.) is slated to launch a nurse anesthesiology program, poising it to become the first school in the University of California system to have one. 

Concerns among physicians about the future of healthcare have intensified in the last several years as payers continue to cut reimbursements. 

On Jan. 8, Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai closed and evacuated a number of ASCs and outpatient facilities amid the wildfires sweeping through parts of California. 

Every detail matters. In healthcare, small actions can lead to big outcomes—and sometimes, those outcomes save lives. An often-overlooked threat in outpatient care is Venous Thromboembolism (VTE), which includes Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE). For providers working in Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs), Office-Based Surgery facilities, and Day Surgery practices around the world, the challenge is clear: how do we consistently deliver the highest standard of care while managing risks that, though sometimes unseen, carry profound consequences?Real improvement in patient outcomes occurs at the intersection of insights and innovation. Advancing patient safety requires more than data – it calls for actionable knowledge and practical tools that drive meaningful change. QUAD A’s Educational Foundation exemplifies this commitment by investing in research that empowers providers to stay ahead of emerging trends and challenges. A standout example is the DVT research of Dr. Samuel Lin, Associate professor of Plastic Surgery at Harvard Medical School, and his team of researchers. Far from simply sharing information, Dr. Lin’s work reshapes the way we approach patient safety, setting a new standard for proactive care and DVT prevention. VTE prevention begins with awareness and culminates with decisive action—anticipating risk, mitigating harm, and elevating the standard of care. Precision in patient assessment is paramount. To effectively combat VTE, facilities must implement robust policies and procedures and leverage tools like the evidence-based Caprini Risk Assessment. Grounded in best practices, this tool not only illuminates risk but assists providers in recommending targeted interventions for high-risk patients – whether through compression devices, pharmaceutical options, or reassessing the suitability of an outpatient procedure. These interventions are driven not just by data, but by the actionable insights revealed by data. This is where QUAD A’s Patient Safety Data Reporting (PSDR) system plays a pivotal role. By transforming data from QUAD A Accredited facilities into actionable metrics, PSDR helps identify emerging trends, uncover gaps, and reduce patient risk through informed decision-making. The insights gained from this data guide facilities in not only addressing immediate issues but also proactively refining their clinical practices, leading to continuous improvement in patient safety and care.Accreditation and adherence to international best practices accomplish more than conferring prestige on a facility—they are the foundation of trust, both with patients and within care teams. This is the work of professionals who look beyond the surface, fostering a culture where patient safety is seamlessly integrated into every process—not out of obligation, but because it is the right thing to do. QUAD A’s Interested Facilities page is the ideal starting point for facilities just beginning their accreditation journey. While VTE risk assessment may not always make the headlines, its power to save lives cannot be overstated. The real question is: Are you ready to take the next step and make VTE prevention a cornerstone of your practice?Since 1980, QUAD A (a non-profit, physician founded and led global accreditation organization) has worked with thousands of healthcare facilities to standardize and improve the quality of health care they provide – believing that patient safety should always come first. To learn more about QUAD A, their accreditation process, and why it’s so important to seek out accredited facilities when making healthcare-related decisions, visit www.quada.org.

Walgreens Boots Alliance reported a $245 million operating loss in 2025's first fiscal quarters, the three months ending Nov. 30.