Patsy Newitt

Arkansas Heart Hospital is building a cardiology ASC and clinic in Texarkana, Texas, the Texarkana Gazette reported Feb. 9. 

Consolidation in gastroenterology accelerated in 2021, according to a recent report jointly published by consulting firm Fraser Healthcare and pharma research firm Spherix Global Insights. 

Here are five updates from Aetna, one of the country's biggest payers, in the last 30 days:

Physician Partners of America expanded its anesthesia operations with Tampa, Fla.-based Red Reef Anesthesia Co., the physician group said Feb. 7. 

Seventy-seven percent of surgeons have been named in a lawsuit compared to 51 percent of physicians overall, according to Medscape's "Surgeon Malpractice Report 2021."

Wyoming has the lowest number of active physicians in the country, according to data published by the Kaiser Family Foundation Feb. 7.

West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Physician Partners of America and two of its top executives have agreed to pay $3.3 million to settle allegations that they violated noncompete contract provisions, according to a Justice News Flash report. 

A 18-story complex with a surgery center was proposed in Jersey City, N.J., Jersey Digs reported Feb. 8. 

Seven supply chain updates from the last week:

The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association is asking members to write to Congress and ask them to support the Outpatient Surgery Quality and Access Act of 2021.