May/June 2026 Issue of Becker’s ASC Review
On The Cover
Inside the ASC strategies protecting margins in 2026
ASCs are entering 2026 with strong procedural demand and expanding clinical capabilities, but the financial picture is becoming far more complex.
Where ASCs are finding hidden savings
From surgeon preference cards that haven’t been touched in years to GPO contracts leaving money on the table, six ASC leaders joined Becker’s to discuss the biggest cost reduction opportunities in their centers without touching staffing or quality.
What no one is saying about noncompetes
Noncompete agreements have become a highly consequential and contested element of physician contracting as systems grow bigger and physician shortages persist across the U.S.
The hiring playbook actually working for ASCs in 2026
ASCs looking to win the competition for high-demand specialists are learning that compensation alone isn’t enough. Across the industry, leaders say the real differentiator is a tightly aligned model that pairs ownership opportunities with frictionless day-to-day operations, where surgeons can move cases efficiently, trust their team and feel like true partners, not just users of the facility.
The assumptions ASC leaders should leave behind
From assumptions about surgical volume to the role of anesthesiologists, ASC leaders discuss ideas they’ve unlearned in recent years.
Orthopedics’ quiet profit drains in ASCs
Orthopedics is driving some of the fastest growth in ASCs, but for many operators, higher volume is not translating into stronger margins.
Inside an unexpected ASC deal trend
For years, consolidation in the ASC space meant private equity or health systems buying up facilities and squeezing out physician autonomy in the process. But something has shifted, according to Benjamin Stein, MD, orthopedic surgeon and co-founder and chairman of Bethesda, Md.-based Capital Surgical Solutions.
ASC Management
The hiring playbook actually working for ASCs in 2026
ASCs looking to win the competition for high-demand specialists are learning that compensation alone isn’t enough. Across the industry, leaders say the real differentiator is a tightly aligned model that pairs ownership opportunities with frictionless day-to-day operations, where surgeons can move cases efficiently, trust their team and feel like true partners, not just users of the facility.
Outpatient surgery grows as access gaps persist: Study
Outpatient surgeries continue to rise in the U.S., with more than 65% of procedures now performed outside the hospital.
What no one is saying about noncompetes
Noncompete agreements have become a highly consequential and contested element of physician contracting as systems grow bigger and physician shortages persist across the U.S.
The regulatory burdens crushing physicians
An overwhelming majority of physicians have seen a spike in regulatory burden over the last three years, according to the Medical Group Management Association’s 2026 Regulatory Burden Report.
Thought Leadership
The assumptions ASC leaders should leave behind
From assumptions about surgical volume to the role of anesthesiologists, ASC leaders discuss ideas they’ve unlearned in recent years.
What this ASC leader says is driving poor outcomes
Joe Peluso, administrator at Aestique Surgery Center in Greensburg, Pa., joined Becker’s to discuss how closing the “coordination execution gap” — connecting the right clinical teams, technology, and resources at the point of care — is the key to reducing healthcare costs without sacrificing patient outcomes.
Where ASCs are finding hidden savings
From surgeon preference cards that haven’t been touched in years to GPO contracts leaving money on the table, six ASC leaders joined Becker’s to discuss the biggest cost reduction opportunities in their centers without touching staffing or quality.
Orthopedics
Orthopedics’ quiet profit drains in ASCs
Orthopedics is driving some of the fastest growth in ASCs, but for many operators, higher volume is not translating into stronger margins.
Escaping the volume treadmill: 1 orthopedic surgeon’s new model
Orthopedic surgery has long been driven by a simple equation: more procedures, more productivity, more revenue. But for surgeons working inside that system, the math can start to feel unsustainable.
Gastroenterology
The CRC screening gap: 10 stats
Among adults aged 45 and older, just 65% are currently with any recommended colorectal cancer screening test, according to a 2026 report from the American Cancer Society.
GI is exploding with new tech—but how do patients feel about it?
Gastroenterology has been teeming with new developments in AI-enabled innovation as the field works to meet an increasingly high demand for services—and a new study sought to identify patients’ feelings on the rapid changes.
3 GI leaders keeping their practices independent in 2026
As consolidation continues across gastroenterology, a number of physician leaders are demonstrating that independent practice models can still succeed.
Transactions
Inside the ASC strategies protecting margins in 2026
ASCs are entering 2026 with strong procedural demand and expanding clinical capabilities, but the financial picture is becoming far more complex.
The key to aligning with the right MSO
Partnerships with management services organizations have become an increasingly common business strategy for physician practices struggling against a rising tide of corporate consolidation efforts and soaring operational costs.
Inside an unexpected ASC deal trend
For years, consolidation in the ASC space meant private equity or health systems buying up facilities and squeezing out physician autonomy in the process. But something has shifted, according to Benjamin Stein, MD, orthopedic surgeon and co-founder and chairman of Bethesda, Md.-based Capital Surgical Solutions.
Compass Surgical’s 3 ASC joint venture non-negotiables
Joint venture partnerships can be an effective way to build and grow a successful network of ASCs, but there are some non-negotiables that have to be met from the start.
A new kind of ASC partner has entered the market
Janet Carlson, RN, spent years watching surgeons struggle, not with patient care, but with everything around it.
Healthcare News
Hospitals face growing fallout from ACA coverage cliff
The warning signs were visible for months.
The next phase of the GLP-1 boom
The first phase of the GLP-1 boom was defined by shortages and brand-name manufacturers sparring with compounding pharmacies. The next phase will be marked by Medicare coverage expansions and new GLP-1 pills for weight loss — two developments expected to further accelerate usage.