Anesthesia workforce shortages are hitting ambulatory surgery centers hard, driving up labor costs and disrupting operations. With fewer anesthesiologists and certified registered nurse anesthetists available, ASCs are paying more for staff, leaning on temporary providers, and in some cases delaying or canceling procedures — pressures that threaten margins and long-term growth.
1. Higher wages to recruit and retain staff. With a limited pool of anesthesiologists and CRNAs, ASCs are paying more to stay competitive. Average anesthesiologist pay jumped 10% from 2022 to 2023. Over the past five years, salary growth has been modest until the recent spike in 2023.
ASCs are also competing directly with hospitals and health systems for anesthesia staff, which is pushing up compensation and benefits costs
2. Reliance on temporary staff. Hospitals are increasingly relying on costly temporary anesthesia providers, with locum tenens usage up 17% since 2024 and projected to climb another 5% in 2025.
Several ASC leaders told Becker’s in March that anesthesia subsidies and contract coverage — including locums — are among their most significant and growing costs, squeezing margins; some also reported room closures or canceled cases when coverage isn’t available.
3. Case delays and cancellations. When anesthesia coverage falls short, ASCs have reported room closures or canceled cases, creating financial strain and disrupting patient care.
“The biggest challenge we face with anesthesia is the nationwide shortage of anesthesia staff,” Tina Driggers, administrator of DSC Day Surgery Center in Winter Haven, Fla., told Becker’s. “This leads to room closure and cancelling of cases which in turn ends up with economic stresses to the surgery center.”
4. Lower surgical volumes. Anesthesia provider shortages are also straining ASC operations over time.
Centers have had to scramble for anesthesia coverage, sometimes resorting to costly guarantees or locum providers, Nathan Garner, director of area operations at Sutter Surgery Center Division in Sacramento, Calif., told Becker’s.
Uncertainties of coverage and new costs have strained relationships between ASCs, anesthesia groups and surgeons — challenges that ultimately limit case volumes and weigh on profitability
5. Pressure on long-term sustainability. Anesthesia provider shortages are forcing difficult decisions about growth and service lines. Some centers have delayed expansion plans, while others are weighing new staffing models — including greater reliance on CRNAs or anesthesiologist assistants — to stabilize coverage. “The nationwide anesthesia [provider] shortage has been greatly challenging for many ASCs,” Mr. Garner told Becker’s. “Anesthesia groups are losing providers to retirement or market pressures and are unable to provide the same level of coverage as they did in the past without charging costly stipends to the ASCs for their services.”
