From rising patient demand to financial strain, four ASC leaders joined Becker’s to discuss the forces they believe will shape outpatient surgery in the year ahead.
Question: What’s your biggest prediction about the ASC industry in 2025?
Editor’s note: These responses were edited lightly for clarity and length.
Leann Ackley. ASC Revenue Cycle Supervisor at Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital: My biggest prediction for ASCs in 2026 is that financial sustainability will become the defining challenge. While payers continue to push procedures into ASCs to reduce overall healthcare costs, and hospitals shift cases to free up operating rooms for higher-acuity patients, ASCs must carefully evaluate whether the cases they accept make economic sense. The growing volume of procedures will be offset by rising supply costs, persistent staffing shortages and reimbursement rates that remain lower than those of hospitals. Success will depend on striking the right balance, capturing new case volume without compromising margins or overextending resources.
Adam Berry. CEO of Summit Orthopedics (Woodbury, Minn.): 2026 will be the year macroeconomics meets a maturing ASC market. For years, the narrative around ASCs has been singular: growth, growth, growth. But in several markets, that explosive expansion is starting to level off — not collapse, but normalize.
If that cooling coincides with rising macroeconomic pressures — higher insurance premiums, deductible resets, inflationary drag on household spending — we could see a meaningful slowdown in patient demand. And that shift will force ASCs to get far more disciplined.
From product utilization and OR efficiency to staffing agility and cash-flow rigor, expense management will become the defining competency of high-performing ASCs. The sector isn’t facing a crisis, but it is entering a new chapter — one where operational excellence matters as much as market growth.
Kristy Murphy, RN. Director of Nursing at the Bone and Joint Surgery Center (Franklin, Tenn.): My primary prediction for the ASC industry is continued growth in the number and complexity of procedures performed in outpatient settings. This will drive higher patient volumes and create increased demand for ASC expansion. Additionally, I anticipate a greater shift of healthcare professionals from hospital environments to ASCs, largely due to improved work–life balance.
Lauren Phillips. Director of Invasive Services at the Cardiac and Vascular Institute (Chiefland, Fla.): I believe one of the biggest trends shaping the ASC industry is the growing number of procedures that can be safely and effectively performed in the ambulatory setting. Cardiology, in particular, is an expanding specialty, and I anticipate a continued rise in cardiac and vascular-focused ASCs in the near future.
Medicare continues to add procedure codes that can be performed in ASCs, which further supports this shift. At the same time, vendors are partnering closely with ASCs to ensure that quality of care remains uncompromised. Physicians now have access to the same high-quality products and equipment used in hospital settings, allowing them to deliver advanced care in a more efficient and cost-effective environment.
Overall, I foresee ASCs becoming the primary setting for a growing share of procedural care, driven by clinical innovation, cost efficiency, and patient and payer preferences.
