The future of the ASC industry looks different depending on who you ask, which could be a sign of just how much change is underway across the space.
From “accessibility” to “consolidation” to “uncertainty,” 42 ASC leaders, administrators and physician partners joined Becker’s to share the one word they would use to describe where the industry is headed over the next five years, and why.
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Editor’s note: Responses have been edited lightly for clarity and length.
Question: What’s one word you would use to describe the future of the ASC industry? Why?
Jason Acevedo, MD. President of Elm Place Ambulatory Surgery Center and Otolaryngologist at West Texas Ear, Nose & Throat (Abilene): My word is accessibility. The future of the ASC industry will be defined by its ability to continue to provide high-quality, patient-centered care in a more accessible and cost-effective setting. Advances in technology, anesthesia, minimally invasive procedures and care coordination are enabling more complex services to be performed safely in ambulatory settings. At the same time, patients, providers and payers are increasingly seeking convenient, efficient alternatives to hospital-based care. ASCs are uniquely positioned to improve access, enhance the patient experience and deliver better value across the healthcare continuum. We need our legislators to help us increase accessibility even further and site neutrality would be a great first step.
Vijay Bachani. President and Chief Growth Officer of New York Bariatric Group (Roslyn Heights, N.Y.): My word is “reinvention.” We built our ASC platform on bariatrics. GLP-1s changed that in about two years, faster than anyone’s strategic plan accounted for. We are rebuilding around orthopedics, spine, pain management, plastics and women’s health. The cases that are going to go through our rooms look nothing like the cases we were doing in 2022. I do not think we are unusual. Most ASCs are one drug, one policy change or one new technique away from watching a core service line compress. Payers set the pace on the other side of it. They decide how fast a procedure actually migrates out of the hospital, and more of them are willing to contract directly around bundles and episodes than they were five years ago. The centers that can show real outcomes data and a predictable cost per episode will get to reinvent faster than the ones that cannot.
Peter Bravos, MD. Chief Medical Officer of Sutter Health Surgery Center Division (Sacramento, Calif.): Acuity. As CMS moves toward site-neutral, single-payment policy, the economics of keeping cases in the hospital disappear. When payment is the same regardless of setting, migration isn’t a trend, it’s an inevitability. What migrates next isn’t the simple work, it’s the complex case volume including total joints, spine, and the leading edge of cardiac. The winners won’t just be the centers that capture volume, they’ll be the ones built to safely absorb it through disciplined patient selection, sophisticated anesthesia coverage, and deeper clinical competency.
Charlene Cioe, RN, MSN. Chief Nursing Officer of Summit Center for Surgery (Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.): Transformation. The ASC industry is undergoing rapid transformation. We are performing more complex procedures than ever before while reimbursement continues to decline. The challenge will be finding the right balance between managing costs effectively and maintaining the high standards of quality, patient safety and positive patient experience that define successful ASCs. The ASCs that succeed will be those that embrace change, invest in their people, use technology and AI where it truly adds value, and continually look for more efficient ways to deliver care without compromising outcomes. Strong clinical leadership will be essential to keeping that balance as our industry continues to evolve.
Elizabeth Coombes. Regional administrator of Gastro Health Endoscopy Edmonds, Fremont and Kirkland (Wash.): Consolidation. I think we are going to see more scale, tighter payer alignment, health system partnerships, physician group integration and operational standardization as ASCs try to be more efficient and maintain the profit margins they have enjoyed. The ASC industry is consolidating because independent centers increasingly need scale, capital, payer leverage, physician alignment and operational sophistication to compete in a more complex outpatient surgical market.
Brian Cunningham, MD. Director of Ambulatory Surgery at TRIA Orthopedics and Vice Chair and Director of Inpatient Orthopedics at Methodist Hospital (Minneapolis): Alignment. Successful ASCs will create alignment with not only surgeons but staff, nurses, anesthesia, as well as payers and vendors. It’s going to have to be built into the culture of the ASC, not just a strategy.
Jeff Dottl. Principal for Physicians Surgery Centers (Ventura, Calif.): Tough. It isn’t impossible to be successful, but it is a lot harder than it used to be. This isn’t a place for new grads to cut their teeth. The complexities of managing ASCs in today’s world require some real business acumen. Turning a profit while making patient safety a priority is no small feat as we balance new tech, growing regs and costs often rising at higher rates than reimbursements. Some markets are particularly challenging (and some are actually impossible to be successful), but you have to get the right partners (this includes vendors) to be both willing AND able to work collaboratively to make it work.
Bruce Feldman. Administrator of Bronx Ambulatory Surgery Center (New York City): Exciting. We are continuing to see more and more procedures migrating out of the hospital and into the ASC setting. It’s an exciting time for ASC growth.
Jeffrey Flynn. Administrator and COO of Gramercy Surgery Center (New York City): The one word I would use to describe the future of the ASC industry is exciting. I believe that the future in healthcare is in our industry. With technology advancing we are bringing high acuity procedures to our setting and that will only continue to grow. The cost of delivering care in the hospital is unsustainable and we present the answer to that dilemma.
Megan Friedman, DO. Chair and Medical Director, Pacific Coast Anesthesia (Los Angeles): Alignment. As ASCs continue to take on increasingly complex procedures and higher-acuity patients, success will depend on alignment across physicians, anesthesia teams, nursing, administration, and technology. Growth alone is not enough. Organizations that intentionally align clinical quality, operational efficiency, scheduling, staffing, and financial stewardship will be best positioned to deliver safe, scalable, and cost-effective care. The future of the ASC industry will belong to teams that work together with shared goals rather than in silos.
Ali Ghasemi, MD. Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University (Philadelphia): The future of the ASC industry is “preservation.” Advances in minimally invasive techniques, biologic therapies and enhanced recovery protocols are allowing us to preserve joints and restore function rather than simply replace anatomy. As value-based care continues to evolve, ASCs will play an increasingly important role in delivering high-quality, cost-effective procedures that improve patient outcomes while reducing recovery time and healthcare costs.
Sean Gipson. CEO and ASC Division President of Remedy Surgery Center (Houston): I do not think it would be surprising to use transformation as a one-word description of the ASC market today and in the future. The ASC industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation, not merely expanding. Key forces reshaping ASC operations include increasingly complex procedures, technologies such as artificial intelligence, physician alignment, evolving payer and payment models, workforce challenges and rising consumer expectations.
More complex procedures moving to ASCs have been in flux over the last several years. This change is most noticeable with the added codes that Medicare has been adding to the approved procedure list for ASCs. Most recently, as has been a slew of cardiac procedures this last year with some five hundred plus codes anticipated for this next year. To no surprise, technology has been a red-hot mover in the ASC industry as well. We are seeing changes in technology with scheduling, revenue cycle management, supply chain optimization, and clinical decision making with predictive models helping clinical professionals make better decisions backed by data. Another area that I am seeing many changes in is physician alignment. Physicians are taking advantage of joint ventures, MSOs and health system partnerships to spread the financial risk and take advantage of increased payor mixes. These models are quickly gobbling up independent models that may be struggling in highly competitive urban environments.
Payment models have seen a substantial change over the past couple of years as well. We are seeing a sweeping change moving toward value-based care as well as the demand for cost transparency. Today’s society is very technologically advanced, researching not only patient satisfaction across the competition but also pricing and ASCs using the most advanced procedures and capital to complete procedures that they are anticipating having done. Additionally, the ASC industry continues to struggle with workforce challenges. ASCs are particularly dealing with shortages in skilled nursing, scrub techs and anesthesiologists. As we find our ASCs doing higher acuity procedures, we also find that we need higher skilled nurses such as cath-lab nurses. Scrub technologists are also lean in the sense of needing a scrub tech that is skilled in a vast array of surgeries over the course of their day at a multispecialty center. In the past year, ASCs have felt a shortage of anesthesia providers as well. Hospitals are paying stipends due to a highly competitive market, and ASCs are also having to compete with similar models to meet the need in our facilities for anesthesia care.
Karen Harris. CEO of Apex Spine and Neurosurgery (Bethlehem, Ga.): Expansion. More procedures — especially orthopedics, spine, pain management and cardiology — will continue shifting from hospitals to ASCs because they offer lower costs, greater convenience and improved operational efficiency. The opportunity is significant, although future success will depend on controlling supply and staffing costs, securing favorable payer contracts, maintaining quality and selecting profitable procedures carefully.
Poorvi Hardman, MD. Medical Director of the Perioperative Clinic at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center: I would say “dynamic” amid shifts on different levels, institutional and legislative, that are driving changes. Additionally, ASCs have grown and evolved to meet this need and demand.
Justin Hohl. Managing Partner at The Spine Institute (Murray, Utah): Bright. There is so much potential as we transition traditional inpatient spine cases to the outpatient setting. With multimodal pain pathways combined with advanced surgical techniques, patients do very well in the outpatient setting and are much happier recovering at home. I believe that the majority of our cases will be done at ASCs before long.
Marcelo Hochman, MD. Independent Physician and Former President of Independent Doctors of South Carolina (Charleston): Great opportunity. Those ASCs that can get out of the ‘insurance game’ and move to a cash basis will have an amazing opportunity for growth. Direct to employer contracts will flourish; patients will get great value and the owners will make more money.
Steve Hockert. Chief Development Officer of Solara Surgical Partners (Southlake, Texas): Durable. The future of the ASC industry is durable, continuing a multi-decade pattern of sustained, disciplined growth. Over the past 20 years the sector has expanded steadily in both facility count and case volume as technology, demographics, and site-of-service economics have steadily shifted appropriate procedures outward from hospitals. That same trajectory remains intact: an aging population continues to expand demand, CMS keeps broadening the covered procedures list while strengthening quality reporting and transparency requirements (including the ASCQR Program), payers remain aligned with the lower-cost setting, patients and physicians who experience the ASC model generally prefer it, and outcomes data show no marked decline in quality or safety. The result is not a sudden surge but the next chapter of measured, durable expansion built on forces that have already proven durable for the last two decades.
Thomas Hutchinson. Administrator of the Surgery Center of Central Florida (Ocala): One word or phrase I would use to describe the future of the ASC industry is “roller coaster.” The ASC industry is in for an exciting ride, with both significant opportunities and meaningful challenges ahead. On the “ups,” private payers are increasingly recognizing the lower cost and high-quality outcomes of the ASC setting compared to hospitals. CMS continues to expand reimbursement and approve additional procedures for the ASC environment, while growing procedural volumes and increasing patient demand are driving revenue and improving cash flow. On the “downs,” ASCs continue to face rising supply chain costs, increasing expenses associated with adopting new technologies and procedures, and ongoing pressure from higher anesthesia and labor costs.
Then there are the “loops” and “corkscrews.” Private equity firms and health systems are continuing to invest in and acquire ASCs. While these partnerships can provide capital, resources, and growth opportunities, they also introduce new operational dynamics, governance structures, and strategic priorities that can fundamentally change day-to-day operations.
Like any roller coaster, the future of the ASC industry will have its twists, turns, climbs, and drops. Organizations that remain agile, operationally disciplined, and focused on delivering high-quality, cost-effective care will be well positioned to enjoy the ride.
Krishna Jain, MD. CMO at APEx Health Network (Chicago): The future is bright because insurers will keep looking for cheaper alternatives to inpatient procedures and patient satisfaction is very high.
Narasimhan Jagannathan, MD. Division Chief of Anesthesiology at Phoenix Children’s: Evolving: The ASC industry is evolving as advances in technology, anesthesia, patient selection and perioperative care allow a broader range of procedures, and increasingly medically complex patients to be managed safely outside the hospital. Across the industry, success will depend on appropriate staffing, standardized risk assessment and patient-selection criteria, reliable emergency preparedness and strong hospital-transfer pathways. In pediatrics, this evolution must be especially deliberate, recognizing that adult ASC models cannot simply be applied to children without pediatric-trained teams, age-appropriate equipment and family-centered care. The opportunity is significant, but growth must remain grounded in safety, quality, access and the patient experience.
Les Jebson. Administrator of the Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Network at Prisma Health (Greenville, S.C.): The single word to describe the future of the ASC industry is migration, defined by high-acuity expansion, regulatory shifts and cost-driven optimization
Maher Kodsy, MD. Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Physician Director at University Hospitals Elyria (Ohio) Medical Center: Uncertainty. Healthcare systems, in conjunction with community hospitals, are actively addressing the changes introduced by the Affordable Care Act. Some healthcare organizations may face challenges in reducing hundreds of millions of dollars in expenses to offset the reduction in federal assistance. The significant changes in the ACA include:
1. The expiration of temporary federal tax enhancements and subsidies by the end of 2025, which resulted in an increase in premium costs.
2. Higher deductibles, reduced coverage, and increased restrictions.
3. A decline in enrollment by an average of 5 million.
The rising number of uninsured patients seeking medical care poses economic challenges to healthcare systems. Regrettably, these changes disproportionately affect middle-class patients, who constitute the core clientele of surgery centers nationwide. The uncertainty arises from the potential shift of surgeries to lower-cost surgery centers compared to the same level of care provided by hospitals. Conversely, the ACA changes could have a broader impact on healthcare, leading to a reduction in surgeries within surgery centers, similar to hospitals.
On the optimistic side, there is potential for increased revenue and a shift in volume to surgery centers, which could mitigate the rise in labor and anesthesia costs. On the pessimistic side, there is concern that the ACA changes will negatively impact surgery centers, similar to hospitals, coupled with the increase in labor and anesthesia costs, exacerbating financial difficulties for some vulnerable ASCs.
Ira Kornbluth, MD. President of Clearway Pain Solutions (Annapolis, Md.): Scintillating. The ASC model aligns the interests of patients, providers and payers with distinct clinical, operational and financial advantages over other sites of care. Surgery centers present a better patient experience at a lower cost to payors and allows for better physician productivity.
Scott Kulstad. CEO of St. Paul (Minn.) Eye Clinic: I might say “Migration.” The future of healthcare is a continued migration of surgical care from hospitals to outpatient settings. ASCs are uniquely positioned to provide high-quality, convenient and cost-effective care, and the organizations that fully embrace this shift will continue to transform healthcare. I also believe ASC leaders should be thinking about the technological and clinical advancements that may accelerate the migration of ASC-based cases to the office-based procedures in the years to come.
Jessica Lam, PhD. Practice Manager at Pacific Coast Anesthesia (Los Angeles): Adaptability. The ASC industry is evolving faster than ever. Patient acuity is increasing, reimbursement continues to shift, and workforce dynamics are changing across every specialty. The organizations that will thrive are those that can adapt by embracing new technologies, rethinking traditional staffing models, and engaging physicians and anesthesia teams as strategic partners in operational planning. Adaptability will be essential to maintaining access, efficiency, and exceptional patient care as the outpatient landscape continues to grow.
EJ Ledesma. CEO of 360 Orthopedics (Sarasota, Fla.): Opportunistic. Hospitals build systematically. ASCs get built opportunistically. A few reasons why: Continued payer compression and escalating costs can serve as a catalyst for those physicians who have the volume and business sense to pursue an ASC strategy. If planned properly, an ASC is more flexible in its ability to design efficient workflows, allocate capital, and pivot when necessary. In addition, margin creation or preservation can be accelerated in ASCs due to the inherent business goals between physician owners and management (if applicable). I use the word ‘opportunistic’ because successful ASCs understand the blueprint to success is to continue seeking efficiencies, leveraging technology and AI where applicable, and favorable case mix. Lastly, leading with quality and patient experience should become the directional beacon. I believe the deployment of a concierge approach to the delivery of care will result in higher satisfaction scores and increased engagement among stakeholders. ASCs will continue to grow over the next five to ten years, but centers that understand how to navigate the headwinds and proactively implement sustainable strategies on maximizing the patient experience in a cost-efficient manner will stand above the rest.
Andrew Lovewell. CEO of Columbia (Mo.) Orthopaedic Group: Inevitable.The shift of higher-acuity cases from the hospital setting into the ASC isn’t a trend anymore; it’s the trajectory of the entire healthcare industry. CMS/Medicare continues to expand the ASC-approved list, total joints and spine are moving outpatient faster than most systems can adapt to, and patients and payers are demanding the lower-cost, higher-satisfaction site of service that the ASC provides. The organizations and physicians that lead this shift will dominate and control the next decade of care in the healthcare environment. The question isn’t whether cases and volume move to the ASC; it’s whether you are prepared to own the shift or get left behind.
Paul Lynch, MD. Founder and CEO of US Pain Care (Scottsdale, Ariz.): Convergence. The lines that used to separate the ASC from everything around it are disappearing. Cases that lived in the hospital are migrating to the surgery center, and the surgery center itself is no longer just an operating room — it’s absorbing the management, billing, contracting and technology functions that used to sit outside it. At the same time, AI is collapsing the distance between clinical decision-making and the administrative machinery that supports it. The centers that thrive over the next five years won’t be the ones that simply add volume; they’ll be the ones that own the whole stack and can make the pieces work as a single system. Fragmentation was the last decade. Convergence is this one.
Justin Marburger. Director of Surgical Services of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery Center of South Texas (San Antonio): As more procedures migrate from hospitals into the outpatient setting, ASCs are being given an extraordinary opportunity. But that opportunity comes with an equally significant responsibility. It will no longer be enough to say that we provide high-quality care, maintain compliance, train our teams or operate efficiently. The successful ASC of the future will need to demonstrate it.
Accountability means creating systems where expectations are clear, ownership is defined and performance is measurable. It means holding leadership, staff and physicians to consistent standards. It means treating compliance as a daily operational responsibility rather than something addressed in preparation for an accreditation survey. And when problems arise — as they inevitably will — it means identifying them quickly, addressing them transparently and ensuring the organization learns from them. The ASC industry is entering a period of tremendous opportunity. More procedures, specialties and patients will continue moving into the outpatient setting. The centers positioned to capitalize on that growth will not simply be the ones capable of performing more cases. They will be the ones capable of proving that growth has not come at the expense of quality, safety, culture or consistency. Growth may define where the ASC industry is going. Accountability will determine who is prepared to get there.
Sumana Moole, MD. Founder of Merus Gastroenterology & Gut Health (Suwanee, Ga.): My word is sovereignty. The outpatient migration story is settled. The real question for the next decade is who owns the surgical asset. Physicians who own their centers control the three things that used to belong to health systems: the site of service, the price, and the patient experience. Employers and patients are now shopping on exactly those terms, and they are coming to us directly. Consolidation will keep accelerating, and plenty of owners will take the check. The centers that stay physician-owned, negotiate their own commercial and employer contracts, and build a genuinely consumer-grade experience will not just survive that wave. They will set the market. The ones that sell early will spend the next ten years operating inside someone else’s economics.
Sandra Oglesby, RN. Administrator of The Surgery Center at Tampa General Hospital’s Brandon Healthplex: Over the past five years, ASCs have continued to gain significant momentum as patients, physicians, and payers increasingly seek high-quality, personalized care that is both convenient and cost-effective. The ongoing migration of surgical and procedural care from the hospital setting to ASCs is being fueled by growing patient demand for shorter wait times, greater price transparency, enhanced patient experiences, and lower overall healthcare costs. As ASC leaders, we witness this momentum every day. Cases are becoming more complex, clinical capabilities continue to expand, and CMS is steadily adding procedures to the ASC covered services list, creating new opportunities for growth across the ASC industry. If I had to describe the future of the ASC industry in a single word, it would be momentum.
Jim O’Brien. Human Resources Director of Portland (Ore.) Gastro: The word I would use to describe the future of the ASC industry is “bright.” I realize there are multiple external and uncontrollable variables exerting influence on the ASC industry, and while I do not expect those to change significantly in the short or medium term, their cumulative effect is to cause ASC leaders to focus on the variables they can control. By taking this opportunity to get back to the basics of not only running a successful ASC, but a successful business, leaders will be able to focus on culture and morale so their centers can become the places where current and future employees want to further their careers. By prioritizing things like clear and consistent communication, the employee experience, and ensuring benefit programs are intentionally aligned with employees’ needs, ASC leaders can use this period of change to create organizations with solid cultures of support and engagement. Those ASCs lucky enough to find success during this phase will be poised to capitalize on future opportunities immediately. Culture is not only critical, but more importantly, controllable. For this reason, I believe the future of the ASC industry is bright, indeed.
Mick Perez-Cruet, MD. Director, Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and Spine Program
Department of Neurological Surgery at Oakland University William Beaumont (Auburn Hills, Mich.): Positive. Physicians are increasingly recognizing the value of ASC ownership. Reimbursements have declined while practice costs have skyrocketed. Having ancillary income to cover overhead costs is key to private practice autonomy.
Faisal Rahman, PhD. Member and Owner of Munster (Ind.) Surgery Center: Aligned with the future. Technology and costs both favor the shift to outpatient surgery centers. More surgeries can be done because of less invasive techniques and the infection rate at outpatient surgery centers is much lower than hospitals. The costs on the average are less than 50%.
Raghu Reddy. Chief Administrative Officer of MiOrtho Surgery Center and Secretary of the Board of Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (Southfield, Mich.): The one word I would use to describe the future of the ASC industry is inevitable — or perhaps unstoppable. Technological and clinical advances, payer pressure, patient preference, and the urgent need to reduce healthcare costs will continue driving appropriate procedures from hospitals to ambulatory surgery centers. The question is no longer whether the ASC industry will grow, but whether reimbursement, staffing, regulation and physician alignment will keep pace with that growth. ASCs should be further empowered to reduce healthcare costs, expand access and deliver high-quality care — not subjected to continued reimbursement pressure that further compresses already narrow margins.
Matthew Reeder, RN. Administrator of Harris Health’s ASC at LBJ (Houston): Continued growth. Why? With the recent removal of many surgical cases off the in-patient only list, ASCs in general continue to be opportunities for our patients to receive top-level care in a safe and efficient environment. It also allows owners/operators to look at new cases that may help them secure a solid bottom line while offering efficient and economical care in a more economically challenging market for many consumers. The health care industry as a whole is continuing to understand what we in ambulatory surgery have known for decades. If you want efficient high-level care, it’s best to look at an ASC.
Ken Rich, MD. Medical Director and Chairman of the board at Raleigh (N.C.) Neurosurgical Clinic: Unpredictable. On one hand, we have the good news that CMS is getting rid of their inpatient only CPT codes. That should be very helpful. On the other hand, it’s quite obvious insurance companies don’t know how to direct patients to much less expensive but at least equal quality care at ASC‘s. We are discovering that we can do more complex surgeries on an outpatient basis even as reimbursements for those procedures get cut every year. What a roller coaster.
Randy Robbins. President at Valiant Anesthesia Associates (Southlake, Texas): I would say limitless! I believe that we will continue to see a rapid growth of case volume and movement of increased complexity of cases to the ASC setting. For those leaders and facilities that garner the correct partnerships from surgeons to anesthesia to industry there will be a huge opportunity for massive growth and revenue. The biggest stumbling blocks for success will be greed, pride and fear of the unknown. Leaders will have to engage across all disciplines, and everyone will have to work together for the ultimate success of superior patient care, efficient and effective execution of the processes and revenue production. If we can achieve these goals our future as ASC leaders should be extremely bright.
Leo Spector, MD. CEO of OrthoCarolina (Charlotte, N.C.): I’d use two words with the same root: flux. ASCs are in a state of flux as in a state of change; and ASCs are seeing an influx as in an arrival or entry of a large number of people. Orthopedics is navigating change from every direction right now, and ASCs are where it is all landing. In North Carolina, CON reform dismantled the restrictions that had forced new surgery centers into joint ventures with hospitals, closing out more than a decade of waiting almost overnight.
At the federal level, CMS continues to pull cases off the inpatient-only list, catching up to what we’ve known clinically for years: that a hip or knee replacement doesn’t need three days in a hospital bed anymore. Layer site neutrality on top of this, where payers are moving toward paying the same rate for the same procedure no matter where it’s done, and that’s where influx comes into play. But there’s real flux underneath that too, because the organizations, the payment models, and even the physical capacity are all still catching up to where the volume is actually heading. OrthoCarolina has been building toward this for well over a decade, so for us, this feels less like a scramble and more like the moment we’ve been anticipating.
Robert Suriani, MD. Partner at Integrated Anesthesia Associates (Fairfield, Conn.): Scalability is the one word I would use to describe the ASC industry’s capacity for continuous and sweeping operational growth. Market economics, the expansion of Medicare coverage, and the improvement in technology all favor the ASC over high-cost hospitals.
Syed Shah, MD. Medical Director of Stony Brook (N.Y.) Ambulatory Surgery Center: One word: Operational efficiency. The future of surgical care is to safely perform as many appropriate procedures as possible in the ASC setting while maintaining a strong focus on patient centered care and operational efficiency. This approach can improve patient outcomes while also strengthening the financial performance and sustainability of healthcare systems.
Achieving this requires a strong team-based approach. Physicians and staff must be appropriately trained to adopt and effectively utilize new technologies and innovative practices. Medical directors play a critical role in maximizing operational efficiency through thoughtful patient and case selection, streamlined workflows, and effective coordination across the entire care team. Ultimately, operational efficiency will allow ASCs to deliver high-quality, safe, patient-centered care while improving access, outcomes, and value.”
Nikki Washington, RN. Director of Surgical Services at Dignity Health’s St. Joseph’s Medical Center (Stockton, Calif.): Evolutionary. The perioperative landscape has been in a constant state of evolution throughout its history, but today we are experiencing one of its most significant paradigm shifts. Procedures once performed almost exclusively in the traditional hospital operating room are increasingly transitioning to ASCs and procedural environments, driven by advances in technology, minimally invasive techniques, anesthesia, value-based reimbursement models and changing patient expectations.
Looking ahead, I believe this evolution will continue to reshape our specialty. As preventive medicine and the incorporation of Healthy People 2030 garner healthier lifestyles, earlier intervention, and precision care improve overall patient health, we will continue to redefine which procedures can be performed safely outside the acute care setting. I also anticipate continued expansion of subspecialty procedural care and broader ambulatory capabilities as patient acuity criteria evolve alongside innovation.
For perioperative leaders, this is more than an operational shift. It is an opportunity to reimagine care delivery. We must evolve our workforce, care models, financial strategies, and leadership approaches to meet patients where healthcare is going, not where it has been. I am committed to leading on the evolutionary side of perioperative history, not simply adapting to change, but helping define what comes next. By embracing innovation, anticipating change, and preparing the next generation of perioperative professionals, we have the opportunity to shape a future that is safer, more accessible, financially sustainable and centered on exceptional patient outcomes.
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.
