Patsy Newitt

Large health systems are forming partnerships and joint ventures for the development or management of ASCs as care continues to shift from inpatient to outpatient settings. 

Healthcare bankruptcies have slowed since a five-year high in 2023, when 12 hospitals and health systems filed for bankruptcy, according to a report published Aug. 14 by Gibbins Advisors, a healthcare restructuring consulting firm.

UnitedHealth Group's Optum, parent company of Deerfield, Ill.-based ASC chain SCA Health, has seen massive growth in the last few years as other big healthcare networks face obstacles in reaching large-scale profitability. 

Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, one of the largest ASC operators, is again facing pushback as it plans for expansion. This time in Central Virginia, where HCA rival Bon Secours Mercy Health of Cincinnati has a prominent presence. 

Here are five multimillion-dollar false claims settlements in the last three months:

Utah has the lowest hourly wage for certified registered nurse anesthetists, adjusted for cost of living, among states with sufficient data available.

Three hematology-oncology physicians have resigned from South Kingston, R.I.-based South County Health claiming  underfunding, The Providence Journal reported July 30. 

The Federal Trade Commission's noncompete ban is in flux amid several divergent court rulings, according to an article by law firm Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath published Aug. 14 in JDSupra. 

Here are 10 numbers making physicians nervous:

Houston and its suburbs were named the best areas for inflation, according to WalletHub's Changes in Inflation by City report published Aug. 14.