Editor's Note The US continues to outspend every other wealthy nation on healthcare, not because Americans use more services but because the prices of those services are far higher, Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker September 4 reports. The analysis compares US healthcare prices and utilization with 11 similarly wealthy countries and…

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Editor's Note Children’s Health in Dallas leads the nation in pediatric orthopedic surgery, after the US News & World Report 2025–2026 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings showcased familiar national leaders across a range of pediatric specialties, D Magazine and Fierce Healthcare October 7 report. The latest results highlight continued excellence in…

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Editor's Note More than 200,000 older Americans underwent back surgeries they likely did need, costing Medicare and Medicare Advantage a combined $1.9 billion, Axios October 9 reports. The findings, based on an analysis by the Lown Institute, raise new concerns about overuse of high-cost procedures with limited benefit, as federal…

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Editor's Note Hiring for spinal procedures are tightening and consolidation is accelerating, reshaping where and how ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) secure talent, Becker’s Spine Review October 3 reports. A mounting orthopedic shortage exceeding 5,000 by year-end is making spine one of the hardest specialties to recruit, with timelines stretching and…

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Editor's Note Patients and insurers pay far less for outpatient surgical procedures performed at in-network ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) than at hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs), the American Journal of Managed Care October 6 reports. This study, led by Xiaoxi Zhao, PhD, Christopher Whaley, PhD, and colleagues, analyzed commercial claims data…

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Editor's Note Elective surgical procedures such as cholecystectomy and hernia repair can be performed safely in carefully selected patients with cirrhosis, but high-risk individuals still need alternatives, according to an updated American College of Gastroenterology guideline, Medscape October 3 reports. The guideline emphasizes individualized risk stratification that integrates liver disease…

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Editor's Note Bariatric surgery delivers greater weight loss and lower long-term costs than GLP-1 medications, Ambulatory Surgery Center News September 18 reports. A new JAMA Surgery study of more than 30,000 patients found that surgical patients lost nearly three times as much weight as those on medication while generating meaningful…

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Editor's Note Ascension posted a $917.7 million net income for fiscal 2025 and credits ambulatory growth and tighter spending controls, Healthcare Dive September 19 reports. The nonprofit system reversed a $1.07 billion loss from the prior year and said results reflect “operational discipline,” including improved labor productivity and reduced spend…

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Growth is the goal in any ASC—growth in volume, growth in profits, and often growth to new locations. For DISC Surgery Centers, which just opened its sixth ambulatory surgery center (ASC) through parent company TriasMD, that growth has been the result of many factors. A key driver, according to Frank…

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Editor's Note Colorectal tumors once considered inoperable are now routinely treated with curative surgery, thanks to advances in multimodality therapy and complex resection techniques, Mayo Clinic September 16 reports. Decades ago, cancers invading the sacrum, pelvic organs, or major blood vessels were often deemed unresectable, leaving patients with only palliative…

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