Although the number of outpatient surgery cases performed at facilities run by Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare decreased in the fourth quarter of 2022 compared to 2021, the company is optimistic about its ambulatory network.
Here are three notes from the company's Jan. 27 earnings call, as transcribed by The Motley Fool:
1. HCA has "more de novo development inside of our ambulatory surgery center platform than we've had in the past," CEO Sam Hazen said on the earnings call. "We're really pretty excited about our investments in our ambulatory network, our investments in our acuity programs and in our higher service lines."
2. Same-facility outpatient surgeries were up slightly in the fourth quarter from the previous year and increased 5.6 percent when compared to the third quarter.
3. Total joint business for the fourth quarter was up 6 percent compared to the previous year.