Medford, Ore.-based Asante has filed an emergency exemption request with the Oregon Health Authority to expedite its acquisition of sole ownership of the Surgery Center of Southern Oregon, citing the facility’s deteriorating financial condition, KOBI-TV NBC5 reported April 28.
Asante has been pursuing sole ownership of the ASC for nearly a year, according to the report, with the transaction under state review since August 2025. The review was paused in November after the OHA requested additional information from both parties that has not been provided. Asante told the publication that the ASC has been losing key personnel and experiencing declining patient volume as it approaches insolvency, and has asked the state to make a decision by May 1 to avoid closure.
If approved, the emergency exemption would permanently end the standard Health Care Market Oversight review, meaning OHA would forfeit its ability to place conditions on the transaction or conduct follow-up reviews. This is only the third such emergency exemption request submitted since the HCMO program began.
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