March/April 2026 • Vol. 2026 No. 3
Why the ASC labor market
won't bounce back
What many ASC leaders once viewed
as a short-term, post-pandemic
workforce disruption now looks like a
permanent reset, one driven less by
"staffing shortages" alone and more by
a fundamental shift in what clinicians will
accept at work.
A new era of ASC
consolidation efforts
With nearly 2,000 ASCs under a
partnership by a national operator, up
from about 1,300 centers in 2011, the
consolidation of ASCs has taken on a new
path over the past decade and a half.
continued on page 11 continued on page 21
continued on page 5
ASC leaders' anesthesia
coverage non-negotiables for
2026
As ASCs face ongoing workforce constraints, reimbursement
pressure and rising expectations around access and efficiency,
anesthesia coverage has emerged as a defining operational
priority for 2026.
15+
STORIES INSIDE
The triple-threat of ASC challenges ahead p. 12
16TH ANNUAL MEETING
April 13 - 16, 2026
Hyatt Regency // Chicago, IL
SAVE THE DATE
IN THIS ISSUE:
Where physician
expenses are
climbing most
p. 12
Inside the model
that cut GI wait
times to 11 minutes
p. 16
The drivers
of physician
consolidation
p. 20
5 forces shaping
orthopedics in 2026
p. 15
