Additionally, she added, as payers push for cases to be performed in outpatient settings, "hospital and health systems will look toward partnering with large private equity owners and larger platform alliances to create mega-ASC platforms." Hospitals, eager to protect surgical revenue amid the shift away from inpatient care, are becoming more aggressive in pursuing partial or majority ownership of ASCs. A recent survey of health system executives by VMG Health found that 60% of leaders were considering pursuing outpatient surgery joint ventures in 2024 — the highest area of interest of any potential specialty partnerships. In June, St. Louis-based Ascension signed a definitive agreement to acquire AmSurg, a major ASC operator with 250 locations across the country. The transaction will expand Ascension's ASC footprint from 58 to more than 300 centers in 34 states.