Becker's Healthcare April 13, 2021
The pandemic accelerated the migration of surgical procedures to the outpatient setting, and many hospital executives are expanding their outpatient strategies. But that doesn’t mean they’re eager to buy ASCs.
Instead of purchasing existing centers, health systems are partnering with large ASC chains to develop new centers, or opening surgery centers of their own. For example, Minneapolis-based Allina Health partnered with Surgical Care Affiliates, an Optum company, in December 2019 with plans to develop a dozen surgery centers in five years. The partners announced their newest facility in Brooklyn Park, Minn., in February and aim to have two more facilities in development by the end of the year.
Another prime example is St. Louis-based Ascension’s partnership with Chicago and Nashville,...