The ASC industry has seen a slew of regulatory changes and a significant deal activity in the last several months, from CMS’ recently proposed rules for 2026 to the continued growth of industry giants like Dallas-based United Surgical Partners International.
Steve Hockert, chief development officer of Oklahoma City-based Solara Surgical Partners, recently joined Becker’s to discuss what he sees as the most influential trends in the ASC industry in 2025.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length:
1. Question: What recent events are most consequential for the ASC industry in 2025?
Steve Hockert: We are very interested to see if the regulatory posture by CMS at the close of President Trump’s first term is carried forward throughout his second term. In particular, the policy to phase out the [inpatient-only] list, which was later reversed by the Biden administration in 2021, has the potential to be of significant impact as ASCs contemplate future strategy and service line expansion. By aligning more outpatient procedures with favorable reimbursement environments, this change could spur significant industry growth. In addition, continued private equity consolidation is reshaping ownership dynamics, while the rapid adoption of data analytics is enabling smarter, more efficient management decisions at the ASC level.
Q: What is the biggest disrupter to ASC growth?
SH: The biggest disrupter to ASC growth remains the challenge of physician autonomy erosion. As larger corporate entities acquire practices, physicians often lose decision-making authority — reducing their appetite to lead or invest in independent ASCs. Additionally, reimbursement pressures and staffing shortages continue to strain operations, particularly for smaller centers without scale or back-office support.
Q: What do you see as the biggest opportunity for ASC growth?
SH: There is a major opportunity to expand hospital and health system joint ventures that offer a balance of physician leadership and institutional stability. We also see growth in de novo development in secondary markets — particularly where outpatient care is underserved but demand is rising. Finally, leveraging real-time analytics and reporting tools like our proprietary Solara Analytics platform positions ASCs to make data-driven decisions that drive growth and sustainability.
Q: What other trends do you see shaping the ASC industry right now?SH: Increasing capital investment into [operating room] technology. Industry stakeholders are aggressively pursuing cost-containment initiatives among a wider range of surgical services, while simultaneously demanding the highest levels of quality. Investing heavily into modern OR technology is often a prerequisite to achieving the levels of quality expected in the marketplace. It can differentiate you from your peers and position your center to capitalize on the higher acuity service lines. The use of artificial intelligence to draw efficiencies and increase accuracy/timeliness for the various support functions (accounting, billing, coding, etc.) is rapidly increasing and evolving as well. These are very dynamic and exciting times!
