Becker's ASC Review

8 ASC MANAGEMENT Where the 5 richest physicians stand today By Patsy Newitt As of Sept. 18, here's how the five richest physicians rank, per Forbes: 1. omas Frist Jr., MD, and family Net worth: $32.2 billion Dr. Frist co-founded HCA Healthcare with his father in 1968. While he no longer holds an executive role, he retains more than 20% ownership in the company. Both of his sons now serve on HCA's board of directors. 2. Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD Net worth: $5.9 billion Best known for developing the cancer drug Abraxane, Dr. Soon-Shiong sold two pharmaceutical companies — Abraxis in 2010 and American Pharmaceutical Partners in 2008 — for a combined $9.1 billion. He later took two ventures public: NantKwest in 2015 and NantHealth in 2016, both focused on cancer treatment and biotechnology. 3. August Troendle, MD Net worth: $3.8 billion Dr. Troendle is the founder, president and CEO of Medpace, a clinical research organization where he holds a 24% ownership stake. Before launching Medpace, he worked at Sandoz (now Novartis), gaining industry experience that helped shape his entrepreneurial path. 4. Leonard Schleifer, MD, PhD Net worth: $2.2 billion Dr. Schleifer co-founded Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in 1988 and has served as its CEO since inception. He led the company through its IPO in 1991 and currently holds just under 4% of its stock. Regeneron is known for several FDA-approved drugs, including the blockbuster macular degeneration treatment Eylea. 5. Phillip Frost, MD Net worth: $2.1 billion Currently CEO of diagnostics and pharmaceutical company Opko Health, Dr. Frost has a long history of biotech entrepreneurship. He helped revamp Key Pharmaceuticals in the 1970s before selling it for $836 million, and later sold Ivax, a company he founded in 1987, for $7.6 billion in 2005. n The next big staffing crisis in ASCs By Sophie Eydis A SCs are already feeling the strain this fall as staffing challenges deepen beyond the well-documented nursing shortage. Rising case complexity, workforce burnout and reimbursement pressures are exposing new vulnerabilities in anesthesia, robotics support and specialized perioperative care. Here are five things to know: 1. Anesthesia workforce shortages: The anesthesia workforce is under acute strain. Provider shortages, reimbursement cuts and burnout are colliding with rising surgical demand, threatening OR efficiency and patient access — especially in rural areas. Many ASCs are shifting to CRNA-only or hybrid models to compensate. "The lack of anesthesia providers for ASCs in many markets will continue, and anesthesia compensation will continue to rise. These two dynamics are at odds: fewer providers and more access needed," Adam Spiegel, CEO of NorthStar Anesthesia, told Becker's. 2. Burnout and pay pressure in anesthesia: Reimbursement declines and increasing workload are driving burnout and turnover in anesthesia roles. More than 40% of anesthesia professionals are considering leaving their current roles within two years, citing work hours, administrative burden and compensation issues, according to an August report from the American Medical Association. "The biggest challenge we face with anesthesia is the nationwide shortage of anesthesia staff," Tina Driggers, administrator of DSC Day Surgery Center in Winter Haven, Fla., told Becker's. "This leads to room closure and cancelling of cases which in turn ends up with economic stresses to the surgery center." 3. Technical staff for robotics and navigation: As robotics, navigation and advanced imaging grow more common in spine and orthopedic surgeries, ASCs will need staff who can support and maintain those systems. These roles are not just helpful — they're foundational to expanding higher-acuity case volume. 4. Specialized perioperative care: Beyond general OR and nursing roles, ASCs need perioperative specialists in spine, orthopaedics and cardiac support. Staffing shortages in these specialties have been linked to procedure delays and workflow disruptions, particularly as more complex musculoskeletal and spine cases move outpatient. 5. Financial strain from staffing gaps: Shortages in anesthesia coverage drive up ASC costs in several ways, including higher provider pay, canceled cases, and reduced surgical volume. At the same time, rising labor expenses are contributing to a broader financial storm for ASCs, as shrinking reimbursements and inflation further erode already thin margins. n

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