The physician owners of Atlas Surgery Center in Amherst, N.Y., have proposed the sale of their majority stake in the facility for $54 million, an Atlas physician confirmed to Becker’s in an email Aug. 27.
Per the proposed deal, the physicians will sell 60% of their holdings to Ambulatory Partner Holdings LLC, a former subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group. Elad Levy, MD, a neurosurgeon with the University of Buffalo (N.Y.) and Atlas Surgery Center, told Becker’s that all medical decision-making will remain under the purview of the physician owners.
The University of Buffalo and Atlas have been on the forefront of neurosurgery’s shift to outpatient settings, Dr. Levy added.
“The Atlas ANSC (Ambulatory NeuroSurgery Center) is the only neurosurgical ambulatory center that provides outpatient procedures for spine care, neurovascular cases like brain aneurysms, brain tumors and other neurosurgical procedures,” he said. “We set out to create a paradigm shift in neurosurgery. Neurosurgery is the only subspecialty that has not embraced the outpatient arena. We set out to change that.”
He added that the group has been able to; decompress bottlenecks at nearby hospitals, define a new cohort of patients who can be safely treated with same day neurosurgery, achieve 100% satisfaction among a survey group of several hundred patients and significantly lower the cost of care for neurological procedures in the community.
“Rising health care costs are not sustainable and we set out to provide a patient centered environment where exceptional care is delivered while reducing costs and eliminating overnight stays,” he added.
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.
