Becker's ASC Review

12 ASC MANAGEMENT What's making, breaking ASC growth By Francesca Mathewes T he 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: 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: e biggest disrupter to ASC growth remains the challenge of physician autonomy erosion. As larger corporate entities acquire practices, physicians oen 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: ere 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 oen 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. e 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. ese are very dynamic and exciting times! n The domino effect hitting ASCs By Ariana Portalatin W orkforce shortages have become one of the biggest challenges facing the healthcare industry, and many ASCs have felt the effects. Here are five stories covered by Becker's in recent years highlighting how staffing shortages have affected ASCs and physician practices. 1. Staffing challenges have led ASC leaders to struggle with rising personnel costs and managing case volume. "The typical physician staff member of an ASC believes that the most important factor in determining the financial health of the center is how many cases they can perform in the time they schedule to be at the facility. The more cases they perform, the more revenue the center collects, and the more revenue the physician collects. They believe that interests are aligned," Michael Weinstein, the CEO of Capital Digestive Care, told Becker's. "Unfortunately, physicians generally don't think about, or care about, the expense side of the equation that determines the financial health of an ASC. Physicians should be considerate of staff work satisfaction, the importance of efficient scheduling to decrease staffing expenses, and consider the cost of wasted or unnecessary supplies that are not separately reimbursable." 2. Longmeadow-based The Hand Center of Western Massachusetts announced it would close June 1 due to "sudden unexpected staffing issues" that have disrupted operations. "The matter has reached a critical point whereby staffing concerns have prevented us from being able to resume our regular activities as a hand surgery practice despite our fervent desire and significant efforts to do so," the practice's notice said. 3. Redlands Mesa Surgery Center in Grand Junction, Colo., shut down in April 2022 after struggling with staffing due to COVID-19. 4. Staffing shortages have made it more difficult for some ASCs to take on new patients or add new departments and procedures. With a lack of staffing comes a lack of mobility. "I am most nervous about covering staffing needs in the future or holding back growth due to lack of healthcare professionals that are available," Jacqueline McLaughlin, RN, administrator at Northwoods Surgery Center in Woodruff, Wis., told Becker's. 5. Physicians have reported that staffing shortages have led to longer wait times, delayed treatments and worse outcomes for patients. n

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