March/April Issue of Becker's ASC Review
ON THE COVER
Where 5 major ASC companies stand in 2019: Strategy, market share & more
United Surgical Partners International, AmSurg, Surgical Care Affiliates, SurgCenter Development and Surgery Partners have made significant changes in the past year and are looking to new strategic opportunities in the future.
10 states with the most Medicare-certified ASCs
United Surgical Partners International, AmSurg, Surgical Care Affiliates, SurgCenter Development and Surgery Partners have made significant changes in the past year and are looking to new strategic opportunities in the future.
The payer landscape for ASCs
Michael McClain, executive director of Proliance Orthopedic Associates in Renton, Wash., discusses the big payment and reimbursement challenges for ASCs and key trends he anticipates for the future.
Laser Spine Institute shuts its doors - 5 things to know
Tampa, Fla.-based Laser Spine Institute was unable to secure financing to continue operations and closed March 1.
The Urology Group sells headquarters, surgery center property for
Cincinnati-based The Urology Group sold the property housing its headquarters and surgery center for $16.6 million, the Cincinnati Business Courier reports.
Surgery center reopens after closing in August: 3 details
Kingsport, Tenn.-based Holston Medical Group is reopening an outpatient surgery center in Bristol, Tenn., after the facility shut its doors in August 2018, according to WJHL.
Trends in surgery center mergers and acquisitions for 2019
We are seeing significant interest in surgery center M&A from the buyer community based on new criteria. For many years we saw buying almost exclusively by national ASC management companies that would partner with independent physicians who had created significant value in their ASCs.
Tulsa Bone & Joint Associates breaks ground on surgery center
Tulsa (Okla.) Bone & Joint Associates broke ground on the Union Pines Surgery Center and a campus expansion Jan. 15.
HCA Healthcare adds 3 ASCs, outpatient cases up 3.2% in 2018
Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare reported an increase in overall revenue in 2018, hitting $46.6 billion.
Ascension restructures leadership as 3 execs depart
St. Louis-based Ascension revealed changes to its operational structure and leadership amid the departure of three longtime executives in a Jan. 22 announcement.
What CMS’ site-neutral policies mean for surgery center M&A
CMS has continued implementing site-neutral policies to incentivize the use of lower-cost settings, according to Health Industry Distributors Association Vice President of Government Affairs Linda Rouse O'Neill.
ASC MANAGEMENT
Where 5 major ASC companies stand in 2019: Strategy, market share & more
United Surgical Partners International, AmSurg, Surgical Care Affiliates, SurgCenter Development and Surgery Partners have made significant changes in the past year and are looking to new strategic opportunities in the future.
Cardiac procedures are the ‘total joints of tomorrow’ for ASCs
Total joints and cardiac procedures are two of the biggest opportunities for ASCs in 2019, according to Jessica Nantz, president of Spring, Texas-based Outpatient HealthCare Strategies.
Texas orthopedic practice theft affects 76,000 patient records
An electronic device was reportedly stolen from Irving, Texas-based Las Colinas Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine, compromising 76,000 patient records.
10 states with the most Medicare-certified ASCs
California has more Medicare-certified ASCs than any other state, according to the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association. It is the third largest state in the U.S., based on square mileage.
10 states with the least Medicare-certified ASCs
Vermont is home to even fewer Medicare-certified ASCs than Washington, D.C, which has three, according to the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association.
12 statistics to know on ASC management fees
HealthCare Appraisers' 2018 ASC Valuation Survey provided insight into the ASC market and surgery center characteristics.
FBI searches 2 eye centers: 4 key notes
Warwick, R.I.-based Koch Eye Associates and Dartmouth, Mass.-based Eye Health Vision Centers received a visit from FBI agents, according to a Providence Journal report.
ADMINISTRATOR THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Competition in outpatient surgery + how to prepare for the Amazon of ASCs: 4 Qs with Dr. Manoj Mehta
Given the rapid change taking place in healthcare, ASCs may soon face disruption that has as much impact as Amazon's new healthcare venture, according to gastroenterologist Manoj Mehta, MD, medical director of Wilmette, Ill.-based Endoscopy Center of the North Shore.
The payer landscape for ASCs – Key trends from Proliance Orthopedic Associates’ Michael McClain
Michael McClain, executive director of Proliance Orthopedic Associates in Renton, Wash., discusses the big payment and reimbursement challenges for ASCs and key trends he anticipates for the future.
3 tips to build a positive team culture at ASCs
Peter Graf, business manager for Center for Pain Control and Wyomissing Surgical Services in Reading, Pa., discusses the big staffing challenges and opportunities at his center.
How ASCs can take on mergers, value-based care & more: 3 Qs with Administrator Debbie Hall
Cheyenne, Wyo.-based High Plains Surgery Center Administrator Debbie Hall shared with Becker's ASC Review how trends in the healthcare industry are affecting operations at her surgery center.
JOINT VENTURES
HCA Healthcare adds 3 ASCs, outpatient cases up 3.2% in 2018: 5 things to know
Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare reported an increase in overall revenue in 2018, hitting $46.6 billion.
The Urology Group sells headquarters, surgery center property for $16.6M
Cincinnati-based The Urology Group sold the property housing its headquarters and surgery center for $16.6 million, the Cincinnati Business Courier reports.
Employee charged with stealing thousands from Lincoln Southwest Surgical Center: 4 details
Rhonda Lyman, a Lincoln (Neb.) Southwest Surgery Center employee for nearly 10 years, is accused of stealing $29,000 from the center, according to the Lincoln Journal Star.
DePuy Synthes reports 1.9% drop in sales for 2018: 5 things to know
Johnson & Johnson reported fourth quarter and full-year results for DePuy Synthes, its orthopedics division.
Mercy Clinic acquires Oklahoma City-based orthopedic practice, ASC — Outlook for 2019 ASC M&A
O'Fallon, Mo.-based Mercy Clinic acquired a 50-year-old orthopedic practice in Oklahoma City that includes an ASC, according to an Edmond Sun report.
Flower Orthopedics system reduces phalangeal joint fusion intraoperative time by 33% — 3 notes
The Flower Orthopedics FlowerCube® system in first metatarsal phalangeal joint fusions led to a 33 percent reduction in intraoperative time compared to using traditional implants, according to a multicenter, prospective, IRB approved clinical trial.
Surgery center reopens after closing in August: 3 details
Kingsport, Tenn.-based Holston Medical Group is reopening an outpatient surgery center in Bristol, Tenn., after the facility shut its doors in August 2018, according to WJHL.
Trends in surgery center mergers and acquisitions for 2019
We are seeing significant interest in surgery center M&A from the buyer community based on new criteria. For many years we saw buying almost exclusively by national ASC management companies that would partner with independent physicians who had created significant value in their ASCs.
Hospital acquisition of physician practices up 128% in 5.5 years: 4 details
Hospitals acquired 8,000 medical practices between July 2016 and January 2018, according to data from Avalere Health and the Physicians Advocacy Institute.
Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists opening orthopedic surgery center in April — 5 insights
Syracuse (N.Y.) Orthopedic Specialists will open its 47,000-square-foot Specialists' One-Day Surgery Center in April, moving its outpatient surgical procedures into the center soon after it opens.
Illinois group sells 2 ASCs
Belleville (Ill.) Surgical Center is seeking state permission to sell its two surgery centers in response to declining patient volumes, the St. Louis Business Journal reports.
Northwell Health adds total joints at Schwartz Ambulatory Center, plans to expand other ASCs’ services
Physicians at Northwell Health's Manhasset, N.Y.-based Schwartz Ambulatory Center now perform total hip replacement surgery.
Physician group adds $2.8M ASC to 7-practice portfolio — 1 year ago ‘we weren’t an entity’
After suing for independence from Atrium Health in 2018, Tryon Medical Partners has opened a $2.8 million gastroenterology facility in Charlotte, N.C., the Charlotte Business Journal reports.
$8.4M joint venture ASC gets New York state approval — 4 insights
New York's Public Health and Health Planning Council approved OrthoNY, Albany ENT & Allergy Services PC, and St. Peter's Hospital's plan to build an $8.4 million outpatient surgery center, Albany Business First reports.
What CMS’ siteneutral policies mean for surgery center M&A — 3 insights
CMS has continued implementing site-neutral policies to incentivize the use of lower-cost settings, according to Health Industry Distributors Association Vice President of Government Affairs Linda Rouse O'Neill.
CODING & BILLING
Surgery center awarded $27K+ in workers’ comp lawsuit – 6 details
A Virginia appeals court ruled Roanoke (Va.) Ambulatory Surgery Center's claim seeking full compensation for two surgeries wasn't time-barred and awarded the surgery center the full balance for the procedures, Business Insurance reports.
Apple & Aetna build app rewarding member behavior – 7 things to know
Apple and Aetna created an app to track and reward members' healthy behavior, CNBC reports.
After losing Medicaid benefits, Ohio hospital faces 2 options, including ASC conversion
After CMS terminated Dayton, Ohio-based The Medical Center at Elizabeth Place's Medicaid/Medicare benefits, the hospital could convert into an ASC, the Dayton Business Journal reports.
10 ways ASCs can reduce denials, improve the appeals process
Alpharetta, Ga.-based Surgical Information Systems' Senior Vice President of Revenue Cycle Services Jho Outlaw shared 10 ways ASCs can improve appeals and reduce denials.
How 3 ASC administrators deal with the rise in high deductible plans
As more people become covered under high deductible health plans, patients are responsible for paying a larger portion of their medical bill.
ORHub enters Arkansas market with ASC agreement – 3 notes
ORHub signed an agreement with an ASC in Arkansas.
How Southern California Orthopedic Institute shifted total joints to ASCs using bundled payments — 5 insights
Van Nuys-based Southern California Orthopedic Institute CNO Rashel Campos, RN, BSN, spoke to Becker's ASC Review about how using Global 1's bundled payments structure helped the organization move total joint and spine procedures to its outpatient centers.
Nobilis Health enters in-network contract at Plano Surgical Hospital – 3 details
Houston-based Nobilis Health entered into an in-network contract with a large commercial payer at Plano (Texas) Surgical Hospital.
NY insurer files suit over $28M in ‘fraudulent and abusive’ claims from ASC, physicians & pain companies: 7 things to know
American Transit Insurance Corp. filed a lawsuit alleging Hackensack, N.J.-based Dynamic Surgery Center, physicians and other related parties submitted over $28 million in "fraudulent and abusive" claims under New York's no-fault coverage system.
ORTHOPEDICS
Why Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky is bullish on orthopedic performance improvement: 5 things to know
Johnson & Johnson reported orthopedics sales decreased 1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018 to $2.2 billion; for the full year, orthopedic sales dipped 1.9 percent to $8.8 billion.
‘Doing the right thing:’ Ohio surgeons to open orthopedic surgery center
Akron, Ohio-based The Orthopaedic Surgery Center is constructing a bigger, $7 million facility in Boardman, Ohio, The Vindicator reports.
Tulsa Bone & Joint Associates breaks ground on surgery center — 6 insights
Tulsa (Okla.) Bone & Joint Associates broke ground on the Union Pines Surgery Center and a campus expansion Jan. 15.
How Apple, Amazon & price transparency will affect spine: 3 Qs with Dr. Alok Sharan
Alok Sharan, MD, co-director of Yonkers, N.Y.-based Westmed Spine Center has been successful in building a spine practice and performing awake spinal fusions.
Stryker recalls spine device: 5 things to know
Stryker issued a Class 2 Device Recall of its Tritanium Posterior Lumbar cage in late 2018.
Rothman Orthopaedics aims to expand nationally with NueHealth, MUVE joint venture: 5 things to know
Philadelphia-based Rothman Orthopaedics partnered with ASC platform company NueHealth and MUVE Health, a developer and operator of total joint and spine centers, to integrate their models and platforms.
Orthopedic surgeon pays $84,666 to settle kickback allegations over pain cream medical directorship arrangement: 4 things to know
Brandon Claflin, DO, paid $84,666 to settle allegations of accepting illegal kickbacks in exchange for writing prescriptions.
Black Hills Orthopedic & Spine Center opens clinic, adds new surgeon — 3 insights
Rapid City, S.D.-based Black Hills Orthopedic & Spine Center opened a clinic in Gillette, Wyo., to better serve the city’s population.
Outpatient total joint 90-day bundled payment program hits 300+ cases: 4 Qs with Dr. Steven Lucey
Surgical Center of Greensboro (N.C.), a Surgical Care Affiliates facility, is a pioneer for outpatient total joint replacements and physician-driven bundled payments at ASCs.
Laser Spine Institute shuts its doors, patients from 4 ASCs diverted: 5 things to know
Tampa, Fla.-based Laser Spine Institute was unable to secure financing to continue operations and closed March 1.
GASTROENTEROLOGY
The PE arms race — From the deal heard round the world to what’s next in GI
On April 18, 1775, the shot heard round the world allegedly began the American Revolution; 87,986 days later, Miami-based Gastro Health partnered with Audax Private Equity, marking the first major PE-investment in the GI space.
FDA approves DNA testing company 23andMe’s hereditary CRC test — 4 insights
The FDA awarded DNA testing company 23andMe clearance to include risk reports associated with hereditary colorectal cancer in its testing suite.
Here’s what CMS pays for 10 gastroenterology procedures
CMS released a procedure price lookup tool to provide consumers a view the average payment for common procedures in ASCs and hospital outpatient departments.
Blood-based CRC test detects adenomas with 90% accuracy — 4 insights
CellMax Life's blood-based cancer detecting test can detect adenomas with close to 90 percent accuracy and cancer at 95 percent accuracy.
Burnout, depression high in gastroenterology — 8 statistics
Burnout and unhappiness are prevalent throughout gastroenterology, according to Medscape's Gastroenterologist Lifestyle, Happiness & Burnout Report 2019.
Gastro Health acquiring Gastroenterology Specialists, continuing Florida expansion efforts — 4 insights
Miami-based Gastro Health entered into an agreement to acquire Longwood, Fla.-based Giles Gastroenterology Center, doing business as Gastroenterology Specialists.
AGA: 3 things to know about AI in gastroenterology
Artificial intelligence can help gastroenterologists identify colorectal polyps, bleeding and angioectasias accurately, according to Sushovan Guha, MD, PhD, of the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix.
QUALITY
5 experts weigh in on new GI-focused practice management companies & their implications
In the last two gastroenterology-focused private equity deals, the involved PE-firms and practices created practice management companies.
The Leapfrog Group lifts ASC survey participation cap after ‘overwhelming response’
The Leapfrog Group lifted the participation cap on its first-ever ASC safety and quality survey, opening participation to all licensed ASCs in the U.S.
29 statistics on NP, PA salary
Medpage Today surveyed nurse practitioners and physician assistants in 29 specialties about their salaries.
60 patients sue Guardian Pharmacy & 2 Dallas surgery centers that used its drug: 5 insights
Sixty patients are suing Dallas-based Guardian Pharmacy and two Dallas-area surgery centers that administered the company's compounded solution in 2016 and 2017, WFAA reports.
The Joint Commission addresses OR temperature standard — 4 details
Here are four clarifications on The Joint Commission's standard for the established temperature range in operating rooms.
Physician burnout peaked in 2014: Mayo, AMA & Stanford researchers offer solution
Burnout among U.S. physicians improved slightly between 2014 and 2017 but remains relatively high, according to a triennial study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
HEALTHCARE NEWS
The evolution of total joint replacements from the hospital to the surgery center
Key Steps for ASC’s to Maximize Quality and Profitability of Total Joint Replacements
Top execs of America’s 5 largest commercial health plans
Here are the leaders of the five insurers with the most members and revenue in 2018, listed alphabetically
Walmart drops price of virtual visits from $40 to $4
Walmart is offering employees a 90 percent discount on telemedicine, dropping the price of a virtual visit from $40 to $4, The Denver Post reports.
Ohio hospital faces closure after losing Medicare certification
Dayton, Ohio-based Medical Center at Elizabeth Place will no longer be a certified hospital by Medicare or Medicaid effective Jan. 18, resulting in a funding lapse that could cause the medical center to close its doors.
Tenet Healthcare plans to outsource 1,000+ jobs — 6 insights
Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare CEO Ronald Rittenmeyer said the company is "aggressively" exploring outsourcing numerous positions, the Dallas News reports.
Texas system laying off 720 employees
Arlington-based Texas Health Resources is laying off about 720 employees, or roughly 3 percent of its workforce, according to a Star-Telegram report.
Ascension restructures leadership as 3 execs depart
St. Louis-based Ascension revealed changes to its operational structure and leadership amid the departure of three longtime executives in a Jan. 22 announcement.
38 hospitals sue HHS over site-neutral payment policy
Thirty-eight hospitals filed a lawsuit against HHS Jan. 18, alleging HHS Secretary Alex Azar overstepped his authority when he finalized a policy that will cut Medicare payments for hospital outpatient visits.
Amazon now sells hospital rooms: 5 note
Hospitals, health systems and businesses can now purchase a hospital room on Amazon, CNBC reports.
Staff unanimously votes ‘no confidence’ in Florida hospital CEO
Concern over a new admissions policy led staff physicians at Naples, Fla.-based NCH Healthcare System to issue a vote of no confidence against the system's CEO, NBC 2 News reports.
HCA announces $1B public offering that could be used for acquisitions — 4 insights
Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare is offering $1 billion in aggregate principal senior notes, subject to market conditions, the company announced.