ASCs are rapidly growing across healthcare, and so are their price tags. As health systems race to move more procedures out of the hospital and into outpatient settings, several have broken ground this year on projects well beyond the typical single-specialty surgery center, pairing ASCs with medical office buildings, behavioral health units and cancer care.
Here are the 5 costliest ASC projects Becker’s has reported on so far in 2026, ranked by price tag.
1. Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health: $132 million. Novant broke ground on a medical campus in the Upstate region of South Carolina, a $132 million project that will include a medical office building with physician clinics and an ASC. The campus is also expected to house a 20-bed outpatient-focused hospital, which has already received state approval.
2. Lansing, Mich.-based UM Health-Sparrow: $60 million. UM Health-Sparrow plans to build a $60 million ASC as part of a broader expansion that also includes an $83 million behavioral health hospital. Both facilities are expected to break ground this summer and open in 2028.
3. Lexington, Ky.-based Appalachian Regional Healthcare: $54 million. Appalachian Regional Healthcare broke ground May 6 on a $54 million oncology and ambulatory center at Middlesboro (Ky.) ARH Hospital.
4. Moline, Ill.-based ORA Orthopedics: $50 million. ORA Orthopedics cut the ribbon on a $50 million orthopedic surgery center and administrative building in Bettendorf, Iowa. The 113,000-square-foot facility includes an outpatient surgery center and a space for physical and occupational therapy.
5. Morgantown, W.Va.-based WVU Medicine: $48 million. WVU Medicine United Hospital Center broke ground on a $48 million outpatient surgery center in Bridgeport, W.Va.
Together, the 5 projects represent more than $340 million in new ASC-related construction announced or advanced this year, underscoring how far outpatient investment has moved beyond the standalone, single-specialty surgery center of a decade ago.
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.
