Patsy Newitt

Roseburg, Ore.-based CHI Mercy Health postponed nonemergent surgeries and converted its ASC into a medical-surgical unit to accommodate an influx of COVID-19 patients, KQEN News Radio reported Aug. 17.

Leawood, Kan.-based ValueHealth is launching an outpatient bariatric and metabolic hyperspecialty offering, dubbed ValueHealth NovaCore, the company announced Aug. 17. 

Here are five hospitals, health systems redirecting outpatient staff as a fourth COVID-19 wave overwhelms staff. 

Some ASCs benefit from partnering with hospitals for contracting and supply costs. 

Ophthalmologists are facing profit hurdles because of payer prior authorization requirements and declining reimbursements. 

Boston-based Shields Health Care Group is focusing on its core business of musculoskeletal cases in ASCs in the next year. 

University of Chicago Medicine named Uzma Siddiqui, MD, the director of its Center for Endoscopic Research and Therapeutics, according to the university. 

The high volume of COVID-19 patients in Florida is straining the supply of medical oxygen, and the state has requested 300 ventilators from the federal government. 

Seven ASC leaders spoke with Becker's on whether COVID-19 is affecting their long-term growth plans. 

Atlas Healthcare Partners, Banner Health and Cardiac Solutions are opening a cardiovascular ASC in Sun City, Ariz., on Aug. 25, Atlas announced.