ASCs have been cropping up across the South in 2026 as hospitals, health systems and other stakeholders look to expand access to surgical services and shift towards value-based care.
Becker’s has reported on seven ASCs in the South since the beginning of 2026, and a July 2025 report from Research and Markets identified the Southeast as holding the largest share of the national ASC market. That growth, the report noted, is fueled by increasing demand for outpatient procedures and the region’s high volume of physician-owned centers.
New partnerships between management services organizations and healthcare providers are also fueling the South’s ASC expansion. Greenville, S.C.-based Prisma Health and Atlas Healthcare Partners formed a joint venture to develop and operate more than 15 ASCs across South Carolina, southeastern Tennessee and surrounding regions earlier in February.
Steve Hockert, chief development officer of Solara Surgical Partners, told Becker’s the company plans to place “more of a strategic focus on the southeast quadrant of the U.S.” over the next five years.
“If you looked at our market penetration, you’d notice a sort of east-to-west fault line, with most of our activity South of that,” he said. “That wasn’t by design — it just happened that way.”
Going forward, however, Florida and the broader Southeast will be a priority, Mr. Hockert said, and the strategy may evolve from ground-up growth toward more acquisitions.
“There may be consolidation opportunities, and we’ll likely shift partially toward an acquisition-based growth model over the next five years, with emphasis on that region,” he said.
The trend has been developing gradually over the last several years. In 2025 alone, more than 20 ASCs opened across the South, with certain states emerging as hotbeds for development. Becker’s reported on eight new ASCs in North Carolina in 2025 — tied with California for the most in the nation. Texas followed with four new centers, while Alabama and Mississippi each saw three new ASC openings.
Possible shifts in regulatory environments may continue to fuel this growth moving forward. Maryland, Tennessee and North Carolina are all considering or planning to implement adjustments to their certificate-of-need laws, which, if loosened, could spur healthcare development in their respective markets.
