At least 25 ASCs have closed over the past five years, a pattern of attrition driven by financial strain, staffing shortages, low procedure volumes and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The closures have hit facilities of all sizes and ownership structures, from large health system-affiliated centers to independent physician-owned practices, across more than a dozen states.
Here are 25 ASC closures Becker’s has reported on since July 2021:
2026:
1. Baltimore-based LifeBridge Health shuttered its Ellicott City (Md.) Ambulatory Surgery Center due to low procedure volumes.
2. Fairfield Medical Center in Lancaster, Ohio, closed its River View Surgery Center.
2025:
3. Heights University Hospital in Jersey City, N.J., which includes an ASC, closed immediately after being denied $25 million in funding.
4. Myrtletown, Calif.-based North Coast Ophthalmology and Humboldt Physicians Surgery and Laser Center permanently closed.
5. UCLA Health closed two smaller ASCs in Santa Clarita and Thousand Oaks, Calif., for cost-cutting measures and as a way to enhance efficiency.
6. Buffalo, N.Y.-based Kaleida Health System closed an ASC that has been in operation for more than 35 years due to federal funding issues.
7. Sacramento-based Sutter Health closed its Sutter Amador Surgery Center in Jackson, Calif.
8. Sturm Cosmetic Surgery, an ASC in Ames, Iowa, closed abruptly for unknown reasons.
2024:
9. Pueblo, Colo.-based Rocky Mountain Eye Center shuttered all of its clinics July 31 following 32 years of operation due to financial strain after COVID-19. The closure affects six facilities and 77 employees.
10. Cape Girardeau, Mo.-based Saint Francis Healthcare System closed the Physicians Alliance Surgery Center.
11. Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health Ambulatory Ventures and Compass Surgical Partners, closed the Canfield (Ohio) Surgery Center.
12. The Portland (Ore.) Clinic closed its downtown ASC permanently in June after transferring all same-day procedures to the Alberty Surgical Center during the pandemic.
13. Baptist Health-Fort Smith closed its ASC in Fort Smith, Ark.
14. The Battle Creek (Mich.) Endoscopy and Surgery Center closed, resulting in 17 layoffs.
15. SCA Health closed its Perimeter Surgery Center in Atlanta.
16. Russel, Pa.-based Pine Grove Ambulatory Surgery Center unexpectedly closed Dec. 19.
2023:
17. Asheville, N.C.-based GenesisCare Surgical Specialists announced plans to close its doors in September after its private equity-backed management company GenesisCare filed for bankruptcy.
18. Phoenix-based Banner Health’s ASC in Loveland, Colo., a partnership between Banner and Atlas Healthcare Partners, closed in March.
19. Marble Falls, Texas-based Hill Country Memorial Surgery Center closed following the acquisition of its parent company.
2022:
20. The Surgery Center of Fort Collins (Colo.) closed its doors in due to “adverse business conditions.”
21. The Surgery Center of Pottsville (Pa.) closed after 17 years in operation. Several physician-owner departures and retirements made it challenging to run the business efficiently, according to reports.
22. University of Rochester (N.Y.) Medical Center temporarily shut down its Strong West Surgical Center in Brockport, N.Y., in 2022 as staffing shortages and COVID-19 capacity skyrocketed.
2021:
23. Yakima (Wash.) Valley Memorial permanently closed three outpatient clinics to consolidate services and help address staff shortages in November 2021.
24. Red Bud (Ill.) Regional Hospital closed the Monroe County Surgical Center in Waterloo, Ill., citing low volume and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.25. Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital in Dover, Ohio, closed its ASC, the Tuscarawas Ambulatory Surgery Center.
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