Becker's ASC Review

27 JOINT VENTURES SCA centers added 1,000+ new surgeons in 2020 so far: 5 things to know By Laura Dyrda D eerfield, Ill.-based Surgical Care Affiliates helped propel Optum's 12 percent year-over-year increase in quarterly earnings for the third quar- ter as it continues to add surgeons and services amid the pandemic. During the third quarter earnings call for UnitedHealth Group, Optum's par- ent company, executives outlined performance across all lines. Here are five takeaways about SCA, as transcribed by Seeking Alpha: 1. SCA surgery centers operated about 95 percent of seasonal baseline dur- ing the third quarter, up from 55 percent during the second quarter. 2. More than 1,000 new surgeons have performed procedures at SCA centers in 2020 so far. 3. New surgeon affiliations with SCA are up 25 percent for the first nine months of the year compared to the same period in 2019. 4. SCA centers added more than 40 new service lines in 2020, which is double the number added in 2019. 5. SCA's net promoter score is 92. "These durable long-term trends will benefit our growth even more strongly in the future as elective care activity fully normalizes," said John Rex, executive vice president and CFO of UnitedHealth Group. n Sale falls through for physician-owned hospital in Idaho By Angie Stewart A deal to sell Northwest Spe- cialty Hospital fell through, so the Post Falls, Idaho-based facility will remain physician-owned, according to The Spokesman-Review. What you should know: 1. Northwest Specialty Hospital's owners inked a deal in 2017 to sell it to Tacoma, Wash.-based MultiCare Health Systems. The agreement expired this year at the end of Sep- tember. 2. The agreement would have al- lowed Northwest Specialty Hospital to expand beyond the eight operat- ing rooms, three procedure rooms and 32 inpatient beds it currently has. However, the deal's expiration isn't expected to have a significant effect on patients and employees. 3. Northwest Specialty Hospital is jointly operated by Nashville, Tenn.-based Surgery Partners and Northwest Doctors, a group of local healthcare providers. Mountain View Hospital in Idaho Falls, which is also a Surgery Partners facility, was the lat- est entity to join Northwest Specialty Hospital's ownership structure. 4. Northwest Specialty Hospital will treat an estimated 100,000 patients this year, up from about 5,000 in 2012. Since 2012, the hospital's workforce has grown from 100 to 450 employees. 5. Although it won't be bought by MultiCare, Northwest Specialty Hospi- tal isn't done growing, CEO Rick Ras- mussen told The Spokesman-Review. "Northwest Specialty Hospital was founded on the premise that physician-owned facilities offer patients better care," Mr. Rasmussen said. "We will continue to grow and add more service lines to help our community." n 6 new cardiology ASCs, outpatient facilities By Angie Stewart Six cardiology-focused ASCs and outpatient facilities opened or announced since mid- August: 1. Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health opened its cardiovascular and cancer outpa- tient facility in Charlotte, N.C., Oct. 12. 2. San Antonio-based South Texas Spine & Surgical Hospital opened an outpatient surgery center in August. Newly added service lines include ENT, cardiology, plastic surgery and osteoporosis infusion therapy. 3. Houston-based Texas Heart Institute opened a clinical practice Oct. 1. Located in Texas Medical Center, Texas Heart Medical Group will focus on clinical care in cardiovascular medicine, in contrast to the institute's focus on research and medical education. 4. Lincoln, Neb.-based providers Pioneer Heart Institute and Advanced Medical Imag- ing are jointly owning and operating a 10,000-square-foot surgery center in Lincoln. Advanced Medical Imaging built the surgery center next to its practice and brought on Pioneer Heart to operate the center. 5. San Antonio Vascular and Endovascular Clinic recently broke ground on Mission Sur- gery Center, a medical office building with a surgery center. e center is expected to open in spring 2021. 6. Conway-based Central Arkansas Health Center plans to open a catheterization labora- tory in Conway Medical Park in October. n

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