Dr. Paula Dhanda of Specialty Care and Surgery Center: Low Reimbursements Endanger ASC Industry

Paula Dhanda, MD, and her husband John Clarke, CRNA, owners of Specialty Care and Surgery Center in Kelseyville, Calif., say ASCs are in jeopardy due to declining reimbursements, according to a Record-Bee report.

Their surgery center is the only fully-accredited, multi-specialty ambulatory surgery center in the country. Dr. Dhanda says her surgery center is paid 79 percent less than the local hospital, a nationwide issue that causes problems for small ASCs with limited budgets.

Dr. Dhanda said as many as 52 surgery centers have closed their doors. Others have been acquired by hospitals and converted to hospital outpatient departments to increase reimbursements. Dr. Dhanda says these acquisitions are detrimental to patients who would pay more for procedures in the hospital setting.

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