March/April 2026 Issue of Becker’s ASC Review
On The Cover
The triple-threat of ASC challenges ahead
The ASC industry faces an array of pressures in the year ahead, from rising costs and payer issues and a struggling physician workforce.
ASC leaders’ anesthesia coverage non-negotiables for 2026
As ASCs face ongoing workforce constraints, reimbursement pressure and rising expectations around access and efficiency, anesthesia coverage has emerged as a defining operational priority for 2026.
Why the ASC labor market won’t bounce back
What many ASC leaders once viewed as a short-term, post-pandemic workforce disruption now looks like a permanent reset, one driven less by “staffing shortages” alone and more by a fundamental shift in what clinicians will accept at work.
A new era of ASC consolidation efforts
With nearly 2,000 ASCs under a partnership by a national operator, up from about 1,300 centers in 2011, the consolidation of ASCs has taken on a new path over the past decade and a half.
Where physician expenses are climbing most
Inflation remains one of the biggest concerns for ASC and physician practice leaders as costs from everything from supplies to real estate continue to rise at a rate faster than that of reimbursement increases.
Inside the model that cut GI wait times to 11 minutes
For years, Russ Arjal, MD, a gastroenterologist and co-founder and chief medical officer of WovenX, watched the same pattern repeat itself in gastroenterology. The specialists were skilled. The care was strong. But patients were still falling through the cracks.
The drivers of physician consolidation
Physicians are steadily trading independence for employment as financial, regulatory and operational pressures mount across the healthcare landscape.
5 forces shaping orthopedics in 2026
Orthopedics is entering 2026 with strong demand and expanding outpatient opportunity, but under intensifying financial and operational pressure. Reimbursement erosion, administrative burden and consolidation are reshaping how groups structure their practices, align with payers and invest in technology.
ASC Management
ASC leaders’ anesthesia coverage non-negotiables for 2026
As ASCs face ongoing workforce constraints, reimbursement pressure and rising expectations around access and efficiency, anesthesia coverage has emerged as a defining operational priority for 2026.
ASC leaders on the little shifts that make a big difference
As ASCs look for ways to boost efficiency without adding staff or cost, leaders are finding the biggest gains come from small operational changes like automated patient outreach and smarter block scheduling.
The best, worst cities for physicians to practice
Medscape’s “Best and Worst Cities to Practice Medicine,” published Feb. 17, highlights 10 cities it considers the best places for physicians to practice and five it considers the worst.
Thought Leadership
Why the ASC labor market won’t bounce back
What many ASC leaders once viewed as a short-term, post-pandemic workforce disruption now looks like a permanent reset, one driven less by “staffing shortages” alone and more by a fundamental shift in what clinicians will accept at work.
The triple-threat of ASC challenges ahead
The ASC industry faces an array of pressures in the year ahead, from rising costs and payer issues and a struggling physician workforce.
Where physician expenses are climbing most
Inflation remains one of the biggest concerns for ASC and physician practice leaders as costs from everything from supplies to real estate continue to rise at a rate faster than that of reimbursement increases.
Orthopedics
Low pay, high expectations drive a ‘rush to the bottom’ in orthopedics
Declining reimbursements are one of, if not the biggest pressure point facing orthopedics today, which could result in a decline in access to specialists if the situation does not change.
A potential framework for evaluating spine tech investments
With more and more spine technologies entering the market, the decision whether to invest can be met with challenges between physicians and other stakeholders. It’s a problem that Philip Louie, MD, said he wants to change.
5 forces shaping orthopedics in 2026
Orthopedics is entering 2026 with strong demand and expanding outpatient opportunity, but under intensifying financial and operational pressure. Reimbursement erosion, administrative burden and consolidation are reshaping how groups structure their practices, align with payers and invest in technology.
Gastroenterology
Inside the model that cut GI wait times to 11 minutes
For years, Russ Arjal, MD, a gastroenterologist and co-founder and chief medical officer of WovenX, watched the same pattern repeat itself in gastroenterology. The specialists were skilled. The care was strong. But patients were still falling through the cracks.
What the next generation of GIs need to learn for the AI revolution
For years, artificial intelligence in gastroenterology has been synonymous with polyp detection, but some leaders say that framing misses the bigger transformation underway.
Transactions
The drivers of physician consolidation
Physicians are steadily trading independence for employment as financial, regulatory and operational pressures mount across the healthcare landscape.
A new era of ASC consolidation efforts
With nearly 2,000 ASCs under a partnership by a national operator, up from about 1,300 centers in 2011, the consolidation of ASCs has taken on a new path over the past decade and a half.
Pelto launches ASC ownership platform, drives $1.2M in annual physician savings
Physician-owned Pelto Health Partners has launched an ASC platform initiative, expanding its vendor ecosystem to include resources for ASC development and management, according to a Feb. 25 press release.
Healthcare News
Reasons for optimism in hospital finances
The last 12 months have been challenging for many hospitals and health systems as margins remained tight and federal policy changes directly impacted hospital funding.
A rural health system COO’s mission to improve patient access
Tyler Stapp, chief operating officer of Pineville (Ky.) Community Health Center, has spent his career in healthcare focused on improving patients’ access to care.
