ASC News

Santa Cruz County in California suspended most elective procedures at hospitals and ASCs in the county starting Jan. 7.

Here are the most-read articles on Becker's ASC Review during the week of Jan. 4-8:

Deerfield, Ill.-based Surgical Care Affiliates faces two charges of collusion after the company allegedly reached agreements with two competitors to not recruit each other's senior-level employees, the Department of Justice announced Jan. 7. 

CMS will terminate its agreement with Nampa, Idaho-based Healing Arts Day Surgery effective Jan. 20, the agency announced.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused 20 percent of adults to delay medical care, which resulted in 57 percent of those who delayed care reporting negative health consequences, according to a report published in JAMA Health Forum.

Ambulatory Surgery Center Association CEO William Prentice joined the Becker's Healthcare Podcast to discuss the big trends in the ASC industry and how centers are rebounding from the pandemic's elective surgery bans.

Independent physicians don't have access to the COVID-19 vaccine in some communities because hospitals are prioritizing their own employees.

The University of Rochester (N.Y.) Medical Center will temporarily shut down its surgical center so staff can assist hospitals, according to a Jan. 3 report from WHEC.

State College, Pa.-based Mount Nittany Medical Center expanded its elective surgical ban through the end of January, StateCollege.com reported Dec. 30.

The COVID-19 vaccine has been available for front-line workers and clinicians in many states, but where ASC staff fall in prioritization depends on the state.