Hospitals See Opportunity, Risk In Ambulatory Surgery Centers

Modern Healthcare: Hospitals See Opportunity, Risk In Ambulatory Surgery Centers
Allegheny Health Network’s ambulatory surgery centers had a record year in 2020. Surgeries were up around 10% at the Pittsburgh-based integrated health system’s 10 ASCs, and Allegheny plans to move even more procedures into those facilities. Surgery centers generally have high physician and patient satisfaction given their convenience and efficiency and ASCs help ensure that more acute patients can be treated in hospitals, said Dr. Sricharan Chalikonda, Allegheny’s chief medical operations officer. Health systems continue to invest in ambulatory surgery centers. While reimbursement rates are typically significantly lower than the inpatient setting, ASCs provide lower-cost alternatives and free up inpatient capacity. (Kacik, 1/25)