ASC giant United Surgical Partners International, owned by Tenet Healthcare, quietly purchased Covenant Physician Partners in the first quarter of 2024, ION Analytics reported in April. 

Tenet Healthcare's ASC powerhouse United Surgical Partners International is a "top capital priority," CEO Saum Sutaria, MD, said July 23 during the company's second quarter earnings call transcribed by Seeking Alpha. 

Dallas-based United Surgical Partners International, Tenet Healthcare's ASC business, second quarter revenue hit $1.14 billion, a 21.1% increase from the same quarter last year. 

Here are three of the biggest healthcare disruptors in the race to acquire physicians:

A medical office building in Aiken, S.C., has sold for $4.125 million, according to a July 22 report from the Aiken Standard.

A 12,750-square-foot medical office building in Lafayette, Ind., has sold for $2.6 million, according to a July 17 report from ConnectCRE. 

Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare has inked three major hospital deals and opened two ASCs so far this year. 

Amid scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission and other factors, at least three major healthcare deals have been scrapped since December

In July 2023, medical staffing company American Physician Partners announced that it would close and transition its hospital contracts.

Hospitals continue to look to ASCs as outpatient surgery becomes more popular and the need to cut costs grows. 

Optum earned $62.9 billion in total revenue in the second quarter of 2024 — an increase of 11.7% year over year, according to the company's financial report. 

In June, Walgreens announced plans to reduce its stake in primary care clinic chain VillageMD and to shutter underperforming stores in the next few years. 

Dallas-based Steward Health Care, which filed for bankruptcy May 6, is under criminal investigation by federal prosecutors. 

Healthcare management company Excel Health has acquired Journey Surgery Center in Aliso Viejo, Calif. 

Sedalia, Mo.-based Bothwell Regional Health Center has purchased a medical office building that formerly housed the Women’s Health and Surgical Center, according to a July 15 report from KSIS Radio.

A single-tenant medical office building in Montrose, Colo., has sold for $2.5 million, according to a July 15 report from REBusiness Online.

After UnitedHealth Group, parent company of Optum, reached 90,000 affiliated physicians at the end of 2023, it became the largest employer of physicians in the U.S. — sparking industrywide discussions of the risks of consolidation and monopolies. While the company has acquired physician practices and ASCs this year, it has also ended service lines and offloaded centers.

Facing increasing obstacles to access economies of scale, including rising practice costs and decreasing reimbursement, physician groups are increasingly consolidating. 

The ASC market in the U.S. is projected to reach $60.8 billion by 2030, up from the most recent valuation of $40.4 billion from 2023.

St. Louis-based Ascension saw a $3 billion operating loss in fiscal year 2023, and its sustainability strategy includes selling off major hospitals in their system.