Becker's ASC Review

5 ASC MANAGEMENT The hiring playbook actually working for ASCs in 2026 By Sophie Eydis A SCs 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. e takeaway: ASCs that deliver both financial alignment and a consistently seamless clinical experience aren't chasing talent, they're attracting it. Question: What is the most effective tactic your ASC is currently using to recruit and secure high-demand specialists? Editor's note: ese responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length. Wes Battiste. President and Founder of Destin (Fla.) Surgery Center and Destin Anesthesia: In my over 25 years of ASC development and operations, I have found the most effective tactic to recruit and retain surgical specialists is a hybrid strategy built on four key pillars. e first is offering equity and partnership options. e second is ensuring operational efficiencies through specialized staffing, high- quality equipment and optimized scheduling to maximize case volume. e third is maintaining a patient-focused culture at every level of care. Finally, building a strong brand in the medical community, where satisfied surgeons refer peers to the facility, rounds out the strategy and serves as one of the most powerful recruitment tools available. Peter Bravos, MD. Chief Medical Officer at Sutter Health Surgery Division (Sacramento, Calif.): Equity creates the incentive to migrate cases, but it does not guarantee the experience that makes a surgeon stay. What ultimately drives loyalty is the day-to-day environment: first case on-time starts, seamless turnovers, predictable block schedules and a team that executes. ese are the core products a surgeon buys when committing cases to an ASC. An optimized center becomes a self-reinforcing recruitment engine, where physician partners serve as the most credible advocates. What distinguishes high-performing ASCs is not technology or scale; it is a disciplined process, with reliable execution, and a culture unimpeded by bureaucracy. e ASCs that deliver on these principles do not chase growth; they attract it. Larry Jurgens. Principal of Healthcare & Life Sciences at ClionLarsonAllen (Seattle): e most effective tactic we're seeing is early, physician-led outreach where physician-owners can tell the story. Specialists aren't choosing ASCs solely based on compensation, so we've found success by clearly communicating key factors: ownership pathways, including timing, buy-in structure and expected returns; governance rights and protections; operational considerations such as block times and staffing; and lifestyle differences, especially compared to hospital-based alternatives. Paula Solipaca, RN. Administrator at Jefferson Surgery Center at the Navy Yard (Philadelphia): Our most effective strategy for recruiting and retaining high-demand specialists centers on offering a compelling combination of operational efficiency and potential ownership opportunities. We prioritize creating a physician-friendly environment that maximizes time in the OR, minimizes hospital-related delays and gives specialists greater control over their schedules, an especially strong draw for high-volume physicians. We also take a relationship-driven approach, leveraging our existing physician partners and data insights to identify specialists with strong outpatient potential. is focus on efficiency, alignment and personalization has driven strong results, including high physician engagement scores, strong OR utilization, reduced turnover times, high-quality outcomes and zero infection rates over the past decade. Teresa Tam, MD. Minimally Invasive Gynecological Surgeon and Owner of All for Women Healthcare (Chicago): I think it comes down to involving physicians in decision-making and operational efficiency. Surgeons want to operate, not spend half their day waiting around while a room is being turned over for the next case. e ASCs that successfully recruit specialists are the ones with streamlined scheduling, minimal red tape and OR teams who actually know our preferences. When a facility invests in good equipment, keeps case turnover high, and most importantly, genuinely asks for our input on how things run, these all make a huge difference. We're not just looking for OR access; we want a real partnership where we can focus on patient care instead of fighting administrative bureaucracy. at's what sets certain ASCs apart. n Outpatient surgery grows as access gaps persist: Study By Sophie Eydis O utpatient surgeries continue to rise in the U.S., with more than 65% of procedures now performed outside the hospital. The shift accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic and has persisted, with outpatient volumes growing about 6% annually. The findings come from a December study published in Medical Care Research and Review. The trend is especially pronounced in specialties such as orthopedics, ophthalmology and gastroenterology, as advances in technology allow more complex procedures, including joint replacements and spine surgeries, to be performed without a hospital stay. Federal regulators are also phasing out the inpatient- only list, beginning with 285 procedures in 2026 and continuing through 2028. However, researchers identified disparities in access. Outpatient procedure volume fell 6% among patients in lower-income areas, while rising 5.2% in higher-income communities. Cost savings have also not reached patients. While joint replacement costs dropped by about $6,000 to $7,000 per case, out-of-pocket expenses remained largely unchanged, the study found. n

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