Higher-acuity procedures are moving out of hospitals and into ASCs, according to a Feb. 13 article from VMG Health.
Specialties such as cardiology, orthopedics and spine have caught the eye of ASC leaders as a means to drive revenue.
ASC chains like Surgery Partners have heavily leaned into this trend.
During an earnings call in the first quarter of 2023, Eric Evans, CEO of Surgery Partners, said, "With an increase in the share of orthopedic and cardiac procedures moving into lower-cost, high-quality, short-stay surgical facilities, we are considering all options to capture our fair share, including sourcing and managing a robust [mergers and acquisitions] pipeline…"
"On a same-facility basis, total revenue increased 14.2% in the third quarter, with case growth at 2.9%. Net revenue per case was 11.0%, higher than last year, primarily driven by higher-acuity procedures," David Doherty, CFO of Surgery Partners, said in an earnings call in the third quarter of 2023.