Author: Patsy Newitt

Christine Blackburn, BSN, RN, administrator of Overland Park-based South Kansas City Surgicenter, joined Becker's to discuss the healthcare issues making her nervous and the issues bringing her hope. 

A former executive of Medicare Advantage organization HealthSun Health Plans has been charged for her alleged role in a $53 million fraud scheme.

Hospitals and health systems are increasingly closing or cutting service lines, citing declining patient volumes and rising costs. 

Pediatric surgical physicians saw a 5.7% jump in total cash compensation over the last five years, according to SullivanCotter's 2023 "Physician Compensation and Productivity Survey."

Prior authorization is one of the biggest issues facing ASCs and physicians — delaying care and increasing administrative burdens. 

Optum, parent company of ASC chain SCA Health, is the largest employer of physicians. 

Fifty-one ASCs in Texas made Newsweek's "America's Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers" list, which ranks 550 of the more than 5,000 Medicare-certified ASCs in the country.

Gastro Health, GI Alliance, PE GI Solutions, One GI and United Digestive are five of the largest private equity-backed gastroenterology megagroups in the country.

Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare reported a 37.4 percent jump in outpatient revenue in the third quarter while its operating income was down 4.1 percent from the previous year. 

Physicians are increasingly moving to employed models – from 2019 to 2021, more than 108,700 physicians left private practice for employment opportunities, according to a report from Avalere.