California is the highest-paying state for registered nurses, according to the 2022 MGMA Management and Staff Compensation report.

Here are 11 leaders of the largest ASC chains to know:

Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and office-based labs (OBLs) are becoming more prominent fixtures in the healthcare landscape, amid the continued migration of procedures to the outpatient setting. Opening and running one of these facilities, however, is complex. Physicians must deliver high-quality care consistently, while simultaneously remaining flexible enough to pivot as reimbursement rules evolve and patient needs change.

Patients are increasingly choosing ASCs as low-cost, high-quality sites of service, and many ASC leaders see physicians playing a role in the migration. 

ASCs, like all healthcare providers, are having to get creative to recruit staff and compete with the high salaries of hospitals. 

Robert S. Bray, Jr., MD, is a neurological spine surgeon and founder of Newport Beach, Calif.-based DISC Sports & Spine Center. Dr. Bray will serve on the panels "How to Make Bundled Payments, Risk-Based Pay a Win in Orthopedics" and "The Next 5 Years of Spine and ASCs" at Becker's 19th Annual Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place in Chicago from June 16-18.  To learn more and register, click here.

Nicholas Grosso, MD, is the president of The Bethesda, Md.-based Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics. Dr. Grosso will serve on the panel "The Next Move for Orthopedic and Spine Supergroups" at Becker's 19th Annual Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place in Chicago from June 16-18.  To learn more and register, click here.

Michael Redler, MD, is a partner and an orthopedic surgeon at Fairfield, Conn.-based Connecticut Orthopedics, an assistant clinical professor at North Haven, Conn.-based Frank H. Netter School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University, and a visiting assistant clinical professor at the Charlottesville-based University of Virginia Department of Orthopaedics. Dr. Redler will serve on the panels "Payer Trends for Orthopedics and Spine" and "ASC Management and Transactions: Big Trends for 2023" at Becker's 19th Annual Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place in Chicago from June 16-18.  To learn more and register, click here.

As the pandemic slows down, the scale of Healthcare consolidation during the past year is becoming clearer. M&A grew more than 50% in 2021 compared to 2020, showing no signs of slowing down. The deals are bigger, the players are bigger, the effects are more far-reaching.

A CMIO discusses the way the evolution of the CIO role is positively affecting patients.  Jeffrey Hoffman, MD, serves as the chief medical information officer at Columbus, Ohio-based Nationwide Children's Hospital and as a clinical associate professor of pediatrics and chief of the division of clinical informatics at the Columbus-based Ohio State University College of Medicine.  Dr. Hoffman will serve on the panel "Mapping the Patient Journey: Technology to Help Boost Patient Care and Diagnostics" at Becker's 7th Annual Health IT + Revenue Cycle Conference. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place Oct. 4-7 in Chicago.  To learn more and register, click here.

A doctor discusses the rising healthcare costs across America. Vanessa Hill, MD, serves as the medical director at the Children's Hospital of San Antonio and as a physician adviser at Irving, Texas-based Christus Health.  Dr. Hill will serve on the panel "Key Strategies to Build Data Science Teams That Bolster the Bottom Line" at Becker's 7th Annual Health IT + Revenue Cycle Conference. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place Oct. 4-7 in Chicago.  To learn more and register, click here.

From staffing shortages to supply chain obstacles, 17 ASC leaders joined Becker's to discuss what their biggest day-to-day challenges are and how they're solving them. 

Ronjon Paul, MD, serves as a spine surgeon and as chair of the spine surgery department at Naperville, Ill.-based Duly Health and Care.  Dr. Paul will serve on the panel "The Next Move for Orthopedic and Spine Supergroups" at Becker's 19th Annual Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place in June 16-18 in Chicago.  To learn more and register, click here.

Annu Navani, MD, is the founder and CEO of Campbell, Calif.-based Comprehensive Spine & Sports Center and an adjunct clinical associate professor of the division of pain at Stanford (Calif.) University School of Medicine.  Dr. Navani will serve on the panel "Interventional Spine Tech: Revolutionary or All Hype?" at Becker's 19th Annual Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place in Chicago from June 16-18.  To learn more and register, click here.

Zeeshan Tayeb, MD, serves as the owner of Pain Specialists of Cincinnati.  Dr. Tayeb will serve on the panels "What Interventional Pain Management Will Look Like in 10 Years" and "How to Build an Integrated Pain Practice" at Becker's 19th Annual Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place in Chicago from June 16-18.  To learn more and register, click here.

Betsy Grunch, MD, serves as a neurosurgeon at the Gainesville, Ga.-based Longstreet Clinic. Dr. Grunch will serve on the panels "Discectomies in the ASC — Best Practices for Optimized Spine Programs," "Where Orthopedic, Spine Patient Referrals Will Come From in Five Years" and "Cervical Spine Surgery: Most Interesting Innovations Today" at Becker's 19th Annual Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place in Chicago from June 16-18.  To learn more and register, click here.

Jeremy Statton, MD, serves as an orthopedic surgeon at Atlanta-based Arthritis & Total Joint Specialists. Dr. Statton will serve on the panel "OR Efficiency, It's About Time" at Becker's 19th Annual Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place in Chicago from June 16-18.  To learn more and register, click here.

John Finkenberg, MD, serves as director of San Diego-based Alvarado Spine Center and on the board of directors at the North American Spine Society. Dr. Finkenberg will serve on the panels "Payer Behavior: The Good, Bad and Intriguing Trends for Spine and ASCs" and "Capitol Hill Update: What to Expect From CMS, Midterm Elections and More" at Becker's 19th Annual Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place in Chicago from June 16-18.  To learn more and register, click here.

Lauren Matteini, MD, serves as a board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon at Geneva, Ill.-based Fox Valley Orthopedics. Dr. Matteini will serve on the panel "Minimally Invasive Complex Spine: Big Trends and Concepts" at Becker's 19th Annual Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place in Chicago from June 16-18.  To learn more and register, click here.

Katie Lawrence serves as the executive director of ambulatory optimization and integration at Greenville, S.C.-based Prisma Health Medical Group.  Ms. Lawrence will serve on the panel "The New Work-Life Balance: Best Ideas to Meet Staff and Physician Needs" at Becker's 19th Annual Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place in Chicago from June 16-18.  To learn more and register, click here.