Author: Francesca Mathewes

Facing declining physician reimbursement rates and soaring inflation, private practices face mounting challenges heading into 2025.

While the majority of ASCs remain independent, increased consolidation within the industry has led some leaders to contemplate linking with hospitals or larger health systems as a strategy for more market-proof ASC growth.

From emergent technologies and changing market dynamics to an aging population, a slew of trends could shape ASCs' survival and growth over the next five years.

A judge has ruled in favor of a physician who sued his former employer over a noncompete clause in his employment contract, WFYI Indianapolis reported Nov. 20. 

A Dallas anesthesiologist has been sentenced to 190 years in prison for injecting a nerve-blocking agent and other drugs into bags of IV fluid at Baylor Scott & White Surgicare North Dallas.

Patients at a Chicago location of San Francisco-based Forward are unable to access medical records after the healthcare startup, known for its AI-driven "doctor-in-a-box" service, announced its closure on Nov. 12, CBS News reported Nov. 19. 

Physician turnover is at an all time low at Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health, the American Medical Association reported Nov. 15. 

Here are three recent updates on physician unions and unionization efforts since Oct. 1, 2024, as reported by Becker's: 

While many physician specialties have seen salary increases in recent years, those increases are being felt less by physicians. 

On Aug. 20, U.S. District Judge Ada Brown struck down the FTC's ban on noncompete agreements, calling it "unreasonably overboard without a reasonable explanation." The rule was scheduled to take effect Sept. 4.