As more procedures become approved for the outpatient setting and hospitals and health systems’ interest in the ASC space grows, leaders are narrowing their sights on certain specialties for strategic investment and expansion.
Les Jebson, administrator of Prisma Health’s Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute in Columbia, S.C., recently joined Becker’s to discuss which specialties he believes will see the most growth in the outpatient sector over the next several years.
Editor’s note: This response has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What specialty do you see growing the most in the outpatient space over the next few years, and why?
Les Jebson: The prevalence of cardiac disease will continue to drive the need for outpatient heart procedures. Urology and orthopedics will continue to grow, with joint replacements (knees, hips and shoulders) due to an aging population.
The demand for ambulatory surgical procedures is not influenced by age, but also by the demographic distribution of state populations. Proportionally speaking, states like Florida, Arizona, and even South Carolina are retiree havens. As of 2020, the average age of the population in Utah is 31. In contrast, the average age in Florida is 42. Population migrations, aging populations and continued advancements in technology are all important drivers.
