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Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) and a bipartisan group of Senators recently introduced the Ensuring Access to General Surgery Act of 2026, legislation that would help identify general surgery workforce shortage areas and improve data collection on access to surgical care nationwide. The ACS-supported bill would direct the Health Resources and Services Administration to study and define general surgery workforce shortage areas and collect data on the adequacy of access to surgical services.
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American College of Surgeons (06/23/26)
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Today is the last day to request continuing education (CE) credits for the ASCA + SAMBA Conference & Expo! Be sure to request your CEs online via ASCA’s Education & Events Portal by the end of the day. As a reminder, you must complete evaluations for the sessions you attended before you can request CE credits. Claim your CEs now!
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ASCA Content (06/30/26)
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Save Up To 50% on Demo & Refurbished Medical EquipmentSoma Tech Intl has been a trusted leader in the refurbished medical equipment industry for over 30 years, offering new, demo, & refurbished capital medical equipment up to 50% below OEM prices with the same service and warranty as new.
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In less than a week, Alaska took several significant steps forward in modernizing PA practice in the state through passage of SB 89, HB 110, and HB 195, marking an exciting moment for the PA profession and for Alaska’s patients. All three bills make critical updates to outdated state statutes and remove barriers for the state’s more than 700 PAs to practice.
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AAPA News Release (06/24/26)
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50 charts. 3 years of data. Insights from 682 surgery centers & 4.8 million cases. See how leading ASCs measure performance, then learn how HST Pathways helps you track the same metrics in your own center. Measure where you are and get to where you want to be. Read the 2026 State of the ASC industry report
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Whether or not your facility is using an electronic health record (EHR) system, you’re invited to take ASCA’s 60-Second Survey to provide your feedback. The results from this survey will be invaluable in advocacy to state and federal regulators regarding electronic health data requirements for ASCs. The survey is designed to take approximately one minute, so you won’t need to pull any reports to respond. The deadline to participate is this Friday, July 3. Take the survey now! |
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ASCA Content (06/30/26)
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OEM Devices You Already Use—At a Discounted PriceMinimize disruption and maximize readiness with Synergy Surgical. Immediate access to OEM devices, no contracts, no minimums, and same-day shipping.
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As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more prevalent in operating rooms and healthcare settings, the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) released a new guideline to help perioperative teams evaluate, integrate, and safely use emerging and existing AI technologies in surgical care. The new evidence-based AORN Guideline for Integration of Artificial Intelligence provides recommendations for how healthcare organizations and perioperative teams can evaluate, implement, and manage AI-enabled technologies while addressing patient safety, governance, bias, privacy and security, education, and clinical oversight.
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AORN News Release (06/18/26)
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a final rule, Strengthening Oversight of Accrediting Organizations and Preventing AO Conflicts of Interest, on June 12 to ensure that the accrediting organizations responsible for the oversight of more than 9,000 healthcare providers and suppliers use Medicare standards, according to the CMS website. The rule also aims to create greater consistency between state survey agencies and accrediting organizations in their respective survey processes. Read the Digital Debut to learn more. |
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ASCA Content (06/30/26)
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Learn how one ASC reduced aged AR by 33% and boosted cash per case by 6% in six months through focused revenue integrity, analytics, and hands-on collaboration. The results highlight what’s possible when strategy and execution align.Read more.
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It takes a surgeon around three hours to remove a cancerous prostate gland. Most sit behind a console, using joysticks to control a surgical robot with tiny clamps, scissors and other tools on its four arms.
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The New York Times (06/29/26) Margot Sanger-Katz; Sarah Kliff
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ASCA collaborates with partners to launch market reportASCA, ASC Data, and ASC News joined hands to produce the State of the ASC Market 2026 report, which highlights growth trends, health system investment in ASCs, and forces shaping the industry’s future. Download the report.
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Several cardiology groups are applauding key legislative panel vote June 16 would bar the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from spending funds on the controversial prior authorization pilot Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model. The House of Representatives Appropriations Committee added an amendment to the 2027 appropriations bill that prevents the Department of Health and Human Services from using federal funding to implement any payment model that implements prior authorization in traditional Medicare. This includes use of the WISeR Model, which uses artificial intelligence to review and deny claims.
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Cardiovascular Business (06/22/26) Dave Fornell
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For the first time in five years, fewer than half of Americans can consistently afford healthcare. According to the latest data from the West Health-Gallup Affordability Index, just 49% of U.S. adults are now classified as “Cost Secure,” meaning they can afford access to quality care and have been able to pay for visits and prescriptions in recent months.
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Gallup News (06/18/26) Ellyn Maese
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About ASCAMission: The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) is the national membership association that represents ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and provides advocacy and resources to assist ASCs in delivering high-quality, cost-effective ambulatory surgery to all the patients they serve. About Us: At ASCA, we are eager to help you become better acquainted with our nation's ASCs and the people who own and operate them. We are also eager to help you develop policies on ASC-related issues. If you have questions, please contact us. We'll put you in touch with the experts and, if you like, arrange for you to visit an ASC in your area. Contact Us: Advertising inquiries should be addressed to Chris Schriever or Alex Yewdell at 202.337.1897 or at advertising@ascassociation.org. Follow ASCA on
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