Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1531804
6 ASC MANAGEMENT 4 states with CON changes to watch in 2025 By Francesca Mathewes C ertificate-of-need laws, which regulate the development of healthcare facilities, have been the subject of controversy in some states where healthcare leaders and legislators view them as stifling competition in the healthcare sector. In September, law firm Parker Poe published a blog post outlining states that have seen recent changes to their CON laws or could see them in 2025: Here are four takeaways from the post: 1. North Carolina will lift CON requirements for ASCs in counties with less than 125,000 people, effective Nov. 1, 2025. Exempt ASCs will still need to satisfy certain charity care and reporting requirements annually. The state's Supreme Court also recently sent a physician's CON lawsuit back to trial with instructions for a broader trial to determine the constitutionality of the regulatory laws. The lawsuit could result in overturning North Carolina's CON laws, which could spur competition among large healthcare systems in the state. 2. South Carolina's CON laws were repealed for ASCs, facilities are still subject to licensure requirements, such as charity care and annual reporting. 3. On Dec 1, 2027, Tennessee will lift CON requirements for ASCs. The Tennessee Health Facilities Commission is also creating a six-year plan to study the impact of CON reform, which will shape future regulation in the state. 4. Georgia exempts certain single-specialty ASCs from its CON laws if those ASCs are owned by a single physician or practice and generate below a certain amount in capital expenditures and operating room thresholds. Non-owner physicians can also perform procedures at the ACS in the same specialty. Some ASCs developed by joint ventures with hospitals are also exempt from Georgia CON requirements. The state's Department of Community Health was set to release new recommendations in December, which could usher in a new wave of regulations in early 2025. n 12. Raleigh, N.C.-based Compass Surgical Partners named Sarah Jacobs as chief legal officer. 13. Romaine Layne was named CFO of Tenet-owned, West Palm Beach, Fla.-based St. Mary's Medical Center and Palm Beach Children's Hospital. 14. Mark Flakne was named CFO of Included Health, a healthcare services company aer serving as CFO of UnitedHealth's Optum Health for 11 years. 15. Optum Health also named Lindsay Jubelt as its new chief clinical officer. 16. ASC development company Atlas Healthcare Partners appointed Heather Richards as its new CFO. 17. Tenet-owned Delray Medical Center in Delray Beach, Fla. appointed Heather Havericak as CEO. 18. Optum named Benjamin Shobert as senior vice president of clinical data. 19. UC Davis named Debbie AizenBerg, MD as the CMO of UC Davis' ambulatory clinical care services in Sacramento, Calif. 20. Ed Glynn, MD, exited his role as ambulatory chief health information officer for HCA Healthcare. 21. e Ambulatory Surgery Center Association elected W. Mark Wainner as president for a two-year term. 22. Former United Surgical Partners International executive Andy Johnston was named president of hospice and personal care services of AccentCare, a post-acute services company. 23. Optum promoted its president, Heather Cianfrocco, to CEO in March. 24. Optum also named Rodney Plante, PhD, as senior vice president and CIO for Optum's Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. 25. Christa Blumenshine was appointed CFO of Westchester, Ill.- based ASC management company Regent Surgical Health. 26. Evision appointed its full board of directors in January. n ASCs prepare for the Trump administration: 5 notes By Patsy Newitt P resident-elect Donald Trump will take office for the second time in January, and ASC leaders are preparing amid his plans to appoint a swath of new leaders to oversee aspects of the healthcare system. Here are five key notes: 1. Several health systems and ASCs are bracing for potential supply challenges heading into a new presidential term. Mr. Trump plans to levy new tariffs against several key countries, likely increasing prices for American businesses. Many ASCs have struggled to come back from supply shortages brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, they will now likely be hit with new challenges in the coming months, including tariffs and potential port strikes.