11 ASC, physician practice closures in the past 12 months

A 23-clinic pain management practice shut its doors, and independent practices in multiple states closed for good.

Here are 11 ASC and physician practice closures announced or completed in the last 12 months:

1. Yakima (Wash.) Valley Memorial is permanently closing three outpatient clinics, including its Ambulatory Endoscopy Clinic, to consolidate services and help address staff shortages.
2. Red Bud (Ill.) Regional Hospital intends to close the Monroe County Surgical Center in Waterloo, Ill., citing low volume and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ASC opened in 2011 as a physician-owned facility. In 2015, a majority stake was acquired by Red Bud Regional Hospital for $2.2 million.
3. Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital in Dover, Ohio, closed its ASC, the Tuscarawas Ambulatory Surgery Center.
4. TLC Laser Eye Center in West Fargo, N.D., temporarily closed after several employees quit in late May. The center postponed care for 30 days to hire and train more staff.
5. Heights Hospital in Houston, which mostly provided outpatient and specialty care, closed in January after its management company failed to pay rent. The physicians said they weren't notified of the closure and treated patients in the parking lot.
6. Gilford, N.H.-based Advanced Orthopaedic Specialists announced plans to close in March after Laconia, N.H.-based Lakes Region General Hospital decided not to renew its service agreement. The practice joined Frisbie Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.H., in June.
7. Northern California Medical Associates shut its doors May 1, laying off 26 physicians and 151 employees. The group blamed natural disasters and financial strain for the closure.
8. Lags Medical Centers, a pain management clinic chain, closed 23 California locations in May without warning. Patients were provided one month's supply of pain medications and instructed to find care elsewhere. Lags also has locations in Nevada, Florida and Delaware.
9. Four independent physician practices in Shelburne, Vt., closed in May. Two of the primary care physicians retired, and two others became salaried employees of larger organizations. Jessa Barnard, executive director of the Vermont Medical Society, said the closures illustrate the challenges physicians face in running independent practices.
10. Family Practice of the Kennebunks in Kennebunk, Maine, closed June 30. The practice was unable to find a buyer to own and manage operations after its two physicians decided to retire earlier this year.
11. Advanced Pain Management, a Wisconsin-based chain of pain management practices and surgery centers, shut down several locations in 2020, the company announced in January 2021. The company closed six locations in March and four more from Sept. 22 to Oct. 31.