May/June 2026 • Vol. 2026 No. 4
What no one is saying
about noncompetes
Noncompete agreements have become
a highly consequential and contested
element of physician contracting as
systems grow bigger and physician
shortages persist across the U.S.
The hiring playbook
actually working for ASCs
in 2026
ASCs looking to win the competition for
high-demand specialists are learning
that compensation alone isn't enough.
Across the industry, leaders say the real
differentiator is a tightly aligned model
that pairs ownership opportunities with
frictionless day-to-day operations, where
surgeons can move cases efficiently, trust
their team and feel like true partners, not
just users of the facility.
continued on page 6 continued on page 5
continued on page 9
Where ASCs are finding
hidden savings
From surgeon preference cards that haven't been touched in
years to GPO contracts leaving money on the table, six ASC
leaders joined Becker's to discuss the biggest cost reduction
opportunities in their centers without touching staffing or
quality.
20+
STORIES INSIDE
Inside the ASC strategies protecting margins in 2026 p. 18
32nd ANNUAL
BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS
OF ASCS
October 29 - 31, 2026
Swissotel Chicago
SAVE THE DATE
IN THIS ISSUE:
The assumptions
ASC leaders should
leave behind
p. 7
Orthopedics' quiet
proit drains in ASCs
p. 14
Inside an
unexpected ASC
deal trend
p. 19
