November/December Issue of Becker's ASC Review
ON THE COVER
Kaiser Permanente Washington planning new 165,000-square-foot ASC — 3 insights
Seattle-based Kaiser Permanente Washington is in the process of closing deals for three properties in Everett, Wash., it plans to redevelop, MyEverettNews.com reports. What you should know:
Salary differences between practice owners, employed physicians
Doximity released its 2019 physician compensation report comparing average salary differences between specialties, as well as how salary compares for employed physicians and those who own their own practice.
An ASC costing $31M brought together 3 competing entities — 5 things to know
More than 2,000 operations have been performed at the Surgery Center at Shrewsbury (Mass.) since it opened in May 2018, according to Worcester Business Journal.
The top, bottom revenue-generating specialties for hospitals
Cardiovascular surgeons generate the most revenue for hospitals on average, according to Merritt Hawkins' 2019 Inpatient/Outpatient Revenue Survey.
The ASCs that have closed in 2019
Becker's ASC Review has covered the closing of 16 ASCs this year. They include:
3 Alabama hospitals halt admissions after ransomware attack
All three Tuscaloosa, Ala.-based DCH Health System hospitals are temporarily closed to new patients due to a targeted Oct. 1 ransomware attack.
Where 3 ASCs are focusing budgets, attention for 2020
Three ASC leaders discuss the big strategies for their centers next year, including the focus of their 2020 budgets and what they plan to improve.
Outlook on ASC consolidation + 3 things to prepare for in the future
Matthew Searles, partner at Merritt Healthcare Advisors, discusses key trends for ASCs today and where the industry is headed.
Walmart is coming to gastroenterology — 5 insights
Walmart is leveraging its million-person-strong health plan to develop a featured provider network it's testing in Northwest Arkansas, Dallas and Orlando, Fla., TB&P reports.
ASC MANAGEMENT
Nobilis Health closes surgical hospital, ASCs; owes millions tied to credit agreement
Houston-based Nobilis Health Corp. closed three facilities on Sept. 27 after being appointed a temporary receiver for its assets, according to reports from Market Exclusive and Houston Business Journal.
HCA Healthcare revenues hit $12.7B with 2.6% increase in outpatient surgeries — 6 things to know
Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare reported revenues of nearly $12.7 billion in the third quarter of 2019, a year-over-year increase of about $11.5 billion.
Regent, UHS partner to develop ASCs: 4 key notes
Regent Surgical Health inked a partnership with Universal Health Services, a 354-hospital chain with facilities across the U.S., to build and operate ASCs.
Which states have the most ASCs? State-by-state breakdown
California had the most Medicare-certified ASCs as of June 2018, according to data from The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association.
$3M pain management ASC opening in Texas
Integrated Pain Associates is converting a sports medicine and spine practice in Abilene, Texas, into a new ASC at a cost of $3 million, according to the Abilene Reporter News.
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Outlook on ASC consolidation + 3 things to prepare for in the future
Matthew Searles, partner at Merritt Healthcare Advisors, discusses key trends for ASCs today and where the industry is headed.
Tenet CEO Ron Rittenmeyer: 5 pieces of advice he'd give his younger self
Ron Rittenmeyer, Tenet Healthcare's executive chairman and CEO, made the Dallas Business Journal's list of 2019 Most Admired CEOs in North Texas.
Where 3 ASCs are focusing budgets, attention for 2020
Three ASC leaders discuss the big strategies for their centers next year, including the focus of their 2020 budgets and what they plan to improve.
How patient consumerism could affect ASCs — ASC administrator Tricia Frank weighs in
Tricia Frank, RN, BSN is the administrator for Empire Surgery Center in Bakersfield, Calif. Recently, the ASC transitioned to a new EHR system. Here, Ms. Frank talks about her ASC's experience with the EHR, and how she'd like to see ASC operations change moving forward.
The operational issues 7 ASC execs will tackle next year
As more higher acuity cases move into the outpatient and ASC setting, many surgery centers are focused on preparing for that transition and higher volumes.
JOINT VENTURES
Stormont Vail Health buys minority stake in Kansas surgical hospital — 3 insights
Stormont Vail Health purchased a 49 percent ownership stake in Manhattan (Kan.) Surgical Hospital and will expand the hospital's surgical and oncology programs, The Mercury reports.
Baptist Health to expand ASC capacity — 5 insights
Baptist Health in Miami Beach, Fla., received city approval to expand the services offered at its ASC, RE: Miami Beach reports.
Physician-managed healthcare system opens spine ASC in New Jersey
Altair Health, a health system managed by physicians, has opened a new spine surgery center in Florham Park, N.J. according to Centraljersey.com.
PE-backed EyeSouth Partners teams up with Eye Center of North Florida — 4 insights
Management services organization EyeSouth Partners entered into a partnership with Panama City-based Eye Center of North Florida, its second such partnership in Florida.
Novant Health opens 4th surgery center in under 2 years
Novant Health has opened four outpatient surgery centers in the past 18 months, according to Tyler Ross, director of supply chain operations.
CODING & BILLING
HHS may make changes to Stark Law, anti-kickback rules: 5 details
HHS may make changes to the Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute that are intended to make it easier for healthcare providers to collaborate on value-based care arrangements.
Surgeon ordered to pay $4.25M to resolve kickback & false billing claims
A Pennsylvania surgeon agreed to pay $4.25 million to resolve claims that he had received kickbacks from two hospitals operated by Health Management Associates in Lancaster.
11 physicians charged in federal opioid bust in Appalachia region
Eleven physicians were charged Tuesday in connection with a U.S. Justice Department drug bust targeting opioid pill mills in the Appalachian region.
The top, bottom revenue-generating specialties for hospitals
Cardiovascular surgeons generate the most revenue for hospitals on average, according to Merritt Hawkins' 2019 Inpatient/Outpatient Revenue Survey.
ASC among 8 defendants involved in $6.65M settlement over billing fraud allegations
Retina Institute of California Medical Group and seven other defendants paid $6.65 million to settle allegations that they defrauded Medicare and Medicaid, though they did not admit liability, according to the Department of Justice.
ORTHOPEDICS
3 surgeon insights on outpatient total joint replacements
Three orthopedic surgeon viewpoints on total joint replacements in ASCs:
Dr. Jaime Nieto: Endoscopic spine surgery is the next skill patients will demand
Jaime Nieto, MD, is chief of the section of neurological surgery and spine surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Queens. Dr. Nieto describes the big technology trends in spine today, and the threat of siloed care.
Average salaries for orthopedic & spine specialists
PayScale reports real-time salary data from over 54 million reports from job seekers, fact-checking the data against private and public compensation data.
Neurosurgeon pay Stark Law violation allegations against UPMC revived: 6 things to know
UPMC may face whistleblower claims that it violated Stark Law and the False Claims Act in its dealings with neurosurgeons once again, after the claims was initially dismissed.
Neurosurgeon faces murder charges in California over opioid over-prescription: 4 details
Thomas Keller, MD, a California-based neurosurgeon, has been charged with second degree murder for allegedly writing non-medically necessary opioid prescriptions from 2011 to 2017.
GASTROENTEROLOGY
Dr. Marc Bernstein: The biggest issue in gastroenterology today
Marc Bernstein, MD, a gastroenterologist at Sarasota-based Florida Digestive Health Specialists, spoke to Becker's ASC Review about the biggest issue in gastroenterology and what the specialty could look like in the future.
Work on joint venture Arizona orthopedic surgery center progressing
Developers have completed half of Flagstaff (Ariz.) Bone & Joint's 9,000-square-foot ASC, the Arizona Daily Sun reports.
GI Alliance forms 2 partnerships in 5 days — Adds Texas GI partner
Dallas-based GI Alliance partnered with San Antonio Gastroenterology Associates and San Antonio Digestive Disease Consultants, adding 17 physicians to its affiliated network days after partnering with Phoenix-based Arizona Digestive Health.
A timeline of PE investment in GI
Private equity investors are turning their attention to the gastroenterology space. Here is a timeline of PE investments that will be updated as more deals close:
Walmart is coming to gastroenterology — 5 insights
Walmart is leveraging its million-person-strong health plan to develop a featured provider network it's testing in Northwest Arkansas, Dallas and Orlando, Fla., TB&P reports.
HEALTHCARE NEWS
Physician shareholders awarded $3.5M+ in lawsuit against 2 former practice presidents
Mid-Continent Anesthesiology was awarded more than $3.5 million after a jury found its two former presidents didn't disclose their compensation or provide sufficient evidence that they were fairly paid, The Wichita Eagle reports.
'Don't re-invent the wheel': A message for ASC supply chain leaders
Supply chain success shouldn't look much different in ASCs than it does in hospital operating rooms, according to Tyler Ross, director of supply chain operations at Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health.
Illinois ASC pays $1.3M+ for permit to relocate, establish new center
Physicians' Surgical Center won approval to relocate from Belleville, Ill., to O'Fallon, Ill., effectively establishing a new healthcare facility.
5 surgery centers, ophthalmologists performing new procedures
Five ophthalmologists or surgery centers recently performed a new procedure:
CMS penalizes 2,583 hospitals for high readmissions: 5 things to know
In fiscal year 2020, CMS will penalize 2,583 hospitals for having too many Medicare patients readmitted within 30 days, according to federal data released Sept. 30 cited in a Kaiser Health News report.