31 updates for ASC leaders to know — May 2018

Here are 31 updates from May 2018 for ASC leaders to know.

Envision board ponders ways to boost value — Company sale on the table
Nashville, Tenn.-based Envision Healthcare reported $307.6 million in net revenues for ambulatory services, a 2.6 percent year-over-year decrease. Envision attributed the decline to weather- and flu-related cancellations. To enhance shareholder value, Envision's board is conducting a full review of options, which include rationalizing the company's portfolio or selling the company.

2 orthopedic groups with ASCs partner with insurers on bundled payments in one week
On May 18, Philadelphia-based Rothman Institute and Independence Blue Cross went public with news of a five-year partnership bundling the cost of surgery and postoperative care. On May 22, Newport Beach, Calif.-based DISC Sports & Spine Center reported partnering with Global One and Blue Shield to form an in-network bundled payment model.

HHS Sec. Alex Azar criticizes high prices in hospitals compared to physician offices
HHS Secretary Alex Azar discussed President Donald Trump's vision of healthcare in a prepared statement for the Federation of American Hospitals, mentioning the president's interest in limiting regulation, promoting transparency and shifting care to the most appropriate setting.

HCA aims to acquire AmSurg, partners with KKR in bid for Envision's physician services
HCA Healthcare and KKR partnered to make Envision an offer to buy out the company's physician services unit, including AmSurg. HCA and KKR made the offer on Friday to compete with private equity firms Carlyle Group and TPG Global for the deal. Envision is seeking final offers later in May.

AmSurg enters into 1st strategic partnership with Arizona-based eye care practice
Nashville, Tenn.-based AmSurg entered into a strategic partnership with Phoenix-based Horizon Eye Specialists & LASIK Center. This is the first time AmSurg entered into such an agreement with a practice. As a result, AmSurg and Horizon Eye Specialists will share equity and resources.

2 men who scammed Tennessee ASC get prison time, ordered to pay $1.38M
Two individuals who scammed Johnson City, Tenn.-based Mountain Empire Surgery Center for six years were sentenced to prison and ordered to pay $1.38 million in restitution to the surgery center.

Borland Groover, USPI acquire 2 Florida endoscopy centers
Jacksonville, Fla.-based Borland Groover and Addison, Texas-based United Surgical Partners International have jointly acquired Jacksonville Center for Endoscopy in Southside, Fla., and Jacksonville Center for Endoscopy in Riverside, Fla.

Dr. Richard Rothman hangs up the scalpel — Retires to pursue entrepreneurial interests
Philadelphia-based Rothman Institute Founder Richard Rothman, MD, 81, performed his last surgery May 16, putting a 50-year surgical career to rest. Read more on his last day.

Capital Digestive Care purchases Maryland medical complex to centralize services
Washington, D.C.-based Capital Digestive Care purchased a 100,000-square-foot medical complex in Rockville, Md., with plans to occupy 50,000 square feet of the complex by 2019.

Eye Care Surgery Center alerts 2,553 patients about stolen laptop
Baton Rouge, La.-based Eye Care Surgery Center discovered a laptop potentially storing patient information was stolen. The ASC became aware of the theft Feb. 26 and submitted the breach to HHS April 27.

Physician Partners of America seeks physicians for 2 pavilions with ASCs
Physician Partners of America is 'actively recruiting' partner physicians for facilities it plans to open later this year in Orlando, Fla., and Merritt Island, Fla. The two multispecialty medical pavilions will each feature a 9,060-square-foot ASC and 4,600-plus square feet of medical offices.

30 Sutter Health ASC employees allege company blocked breaks, seek lost wages
Current and former employees of Sutter Health's midtown Sacramento surgery center accused the organization of preventing them from taking breaks in hearings May 7. About 30 employees are seeking lost wages and penalties.

Surgical Care Affiliates partners with Massachusetts Avenue Surgery Center
Bethesda, Md.-based Massachusetts Avenue Surgery Center became a part of Surgical Care Affiliates' network of surgical care providers. Massachusetts Avenue Surgery Center's 27 physician partners serve patients in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Surgery Center of Quincy locked down after bomb threat
Quincy, Ill.-based Blessing Hospital locked down its entire complex, including the Surgery Center of Quincy, after an unidentified party made a bomb threat. Quincy police were dispatched to the hospital the morning of May 21. They later determined the threat was fake and worked on clearing the entire complex.

Connecticut hospital seeks majority stake in endoscopy center for $2.3M
New Britain-based The Hospital of Central Connecticut is attempting to purchase a $2.3 million stake in Central Connecticut Endoscopy Center in Plainville to shift more of its caseload to the outpatient arena.

Boulder Community Health's medical office building to house ophthalmology surgery center
Boulder (Colo.) Community Health is building a 30,000-square-foot medical office building next to its Community Medical Center in Lafayette, Colo. A surgery center focusing on ophthalmology is planned for the first floor of the building.

Triad Center for Surgery seeks OR additions
North Carolina regulators received certificate of need applications from four Winston-Salem, N.C.-based providers: Triad Center for Surgery, Cone Health, Forsyth Medical Center and Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

Peninsula Vascular Access ASC, Vascular Surgery Associates of Richmond seek approval for new projects
Hampton, Va.-based Peninsula Vascular Access ASC and Vascular Surgery Associates of Richmond (Va.) submitted certificate of public need applications for new projects. Peninsula Vascular Access ASC applied to establish an outpatient surgical hospital in Newport News and one in Hampton. The facilities would have two ORs limited to vascular access surgical procedures. Vascular Surgery Associates of Richmond also submitted a COPN application to establish an outpatient surgical hospital with two ORs.

Connecticut hospital attempting to acquire endoscopy center for $3.3M
Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington, Conn., is attempting to acquire a majority interest in The Endoscopy Center of Northwest Connecticut, also in Torrington. The endoscopy center's physicians perform 3,900 procedures annually. It is owned by five physicians.

14 physicians open total joint ASC in Oregon with Regent Surgical Health
Westchester, Ill.-based Regent Surgical Health partnered with 14 physicians to open a joint venture surgery center, Oregon Surgical Institute in Beaverton. The new facility is 14,000 square feet and designed as a center of excellence for orthopedics, total joint replacements and spine surgery. The center also hosts pain management cases.

Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island acquires Eye Care Associates/Glaucoma Consultants of Long Island
East Garden, N.Y.-based Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island acquired Eye Care Associates/Glaucoma Consultants of Long Island and its two locations in Bethpage, N.Y., and Lake Success, N.Y.

NueHealth, Rothman Institute, Jefferson Health joint venture plans to reopen ASC, double case volume to 4k
NueHealth partnered with Rothman Institute, Jefferson Health and 14 multispecialty physicians to acquire the Plymouth Meeting, Pa.-based Blue Bell Surgery Center. Rothman Institute and Jefferson Health are based in Philadelphia. NueHealth is based in Leawood, Kan. The ASC is scheduled to reopen as Jefferson Surgery Center – Blue Bell in the third quarter of 2018.

US Virgin Islands company gets $5M in funding for St. Croix ASC
Liberty Medical Development, a company based in the U.S. Virgin Islands, secured funding for an ASC on St. Croix. The company obtained $5 million in funding, with more than $1.25 million already invested. The ASC is expected to include orthopedics, general surgery, cardiology, oral surgery, dentistry and OB-GYN.

Spindletop Capital Management invests in Tricity Pain Associates and Interventional Pain Management
Spindletop Capital Management acquired San Antonio-based Tricity Pain Associates and Interventional Pain Associates. Tricity has a combination of 11 pain management practices and surgery centers across Texas. This is Spindletop's first in a series of acquisitions, as the company attempts to establish itself in the healthcare space.

Northwell Health's North Shore University Hospital seeks to acquire ASC
Northwell Lynbrook ASC Ventures, whose sole member is Manhasset, N.Y.-based North Shore University Hospital, submitted a certificate of need application to buy an ASC in Lynbrook, N.Y. The center would be renamed Lynbrook Surgery Center and hand surgeon Bennett Brown, MD, would serve as medical director.

Live Oak Surgery Center opens in Texas
Plano, Texas-based Children's Health opened Specialty Center 2, which includes the Live Oak Surgery Center, also in Plano. Specialty Center 2 also houses the Children's Health Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine and Sports Performance, an imaging center and physician clinics.

4 optometry, ophthalmology providers merging to form $10M facility
Four Bloomington-Normal, Ill., eye care providers are merging to form a new $10 facility. All optometrists and ophthalmologists at Eye Surgical Associates, McLean County Eye Center, Central Illinois Eye Care and Eyecare Associates will continue at the as-of-yet unnamed merged practice, which will employ about 90 people.

1st nonprofit surgery center in US opens in Atlanta
The Surgery Center for FGM, the nation's first nonprofit surgery center, opened in Atlanta to treat victims of female genital mutilation both surgically and psychologically. T. Wayne Bloodworth, MD, cosmetic surgeon and gynecologist, opened the center.

AANA urges physicians to embrace non-opioid pain management solutions
The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists issued a call to action to the healthcare community to utilize opioid-sparing pain management techniques to prevent addiction. AANA specifically highlighted the benefits of an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery program.

University of Maryland Medical System plans $50M investment in medical center with ASC
Baltimore-based University of Maryland Medical System filed a plan to invest $50 million in a new medical center next to the Laurel (Md.) Regional Hospital. The new facility, UM Laurel Medical Center, will feature a surgery center, 24/7 emergency care, behavioral health resources and outpatient programs such as wellness promotion.

Texas Free Market Surgery's 2 ASCs, hospital join self-pay promoting network
Lake Hills-based Texas Free Market Surgery is adding its two ASCs and surgical hospital to Health Beyond Insurance's provider network. HBI beneficiaries will now be able to go to Lake Hills-based The Hospital at Westlake Medical Center, Lake Hills-based Westlake Hills Surgery Center and Austin, Texas-based EHI Surgery Center.

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Webinars

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Podcast