Hospitals across the U.S. are ramping up investment in outpatient cardiology investment to meet growing demand, lower costs and expand access to care. Yet, despite this growing investment the speciality, as with healthcare as a whole, is facing an emergent shortage of physicians within the next dozen years.
Becker’s reported on 80 cardiology centers opening in 2024, including Dallas-based Medical City Heart Hospital’s $60 million construction project to expand the facility’s specialized cardiovascular service line.
This month, New York City-based NYU Langone Health opened an outpatient care center in Middle Island, N.Y., which includes 13 exam rooms and two rooms for on-site stress echocardiogram testing.
ASCs are also looking to cardiology for growth.
As of early 2025, 234 Medicare-certified ASCs offered cardiovascular services, reflecting steady growth in outpatient heart care nationwide.
Cardiology is now the fastest-growing specialty among ASCs. In 2024 alone, 26 cardiology-focused ASCs were opened or announced. CMS has also expanded its ASC covered list to include procedures such as angioplasty, stenting and pacemaker placement, accelerating the shift from hospital-based care.
“I believe cardiovascular procedures will be among the most common to migrate from the hospital to the ASC setting,” Bruce Feldman, administrator of Eastern Orange Ambulatory Surgery Center in Cornwall, N.Y., told Becker’s.
The number of single-specialty cardiology ASCs has quadrupled from 55 in 2018 to 221 in 2023, and outpatient cardiac procedures are projected to rise 25% by 2035, compared to 8% growth for inpatient procedures.
Hospitals are also preparing for a looming cardiologist shortage, with 8,650 fewer specialists projected by 2037. Nearly half of U.S. counties already lack access to a cardiologist, adding urgency to efforts to expand outpatient services and reach underserved communities.
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.