HOW MANY ASCS ARE THERE IN THE US?
ASC is an acronym for Ambulatory Surgery Center. ASC are specialized healthcare facilities that perform out-patient surgical care in a day as well as diagnostic and other preventive procedures. ASC was introduced in 1970 and have since remained relevant in ensuring cost-effective healthcare.
The Ambulatory Surgery Center as a rule only attend to patients that have consulted a healthcare provider and have been confirmed to use surgery as the only treatment for their health condition. As such, people who are uncertain of the best treatment to settle for must consult their healthcare provider before considering ASC as an option.
ASC was first introduced in Arizona by two physicians who saw the need of creating high-quality and cost-effective method of carrying out surgical operations. This ASC met the need of residents of the state and also people who lived in distant places. The challenges this development met urged the development of other ASCs centers to address the problems of scheduling delays, limited budget and issues with obtaining new equipment for surgical procedures.
Various researches have speculated different numbers of ASCs. It is almost impossible to ascertain the specific number of ASC in the US. However, the Association of Wisconsin Surgery Centers (WISCA) has revealed that there are only 5,300 ASCs in the US while Laura Dyrda states that there are 5,700 Medicare-certified ASCs in the US. To this effect, the number of ASCs in some states outnumbers hospitals available therein. Well, rightly put, there are about 5,300 ASCs in the United States. These Surgery centers are known to perform over 23 million types of surgical operations every year. Also, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approve of new medical surgical procedures for the Ambulatory Surgery Center annually.
Laura Dyrda explains that the 2020 report made by ASCA reveals that California has the highest number of ASCs with a total of 813 centers. This is regarded as the state with the highest number of ASCs. The second state with the highest number of ASCs is Texas with a total of 429. The least on the list is Vermont and North Virginia with 2 and 8 ASCs respectively. All of these centers are essential in ensuring the that surgical operations are conducted on patients in the most efficient manner and at an affordable cost. This shows the relevance of ASCs in the United States and the impact it has made on the health of residents of the country.
One notable thing about these number of ASCs available on the US is the fact that the number of care provided by these healthcare facilities cannot be compared to what is obtainable in the hospitals. The ASCs in Wisconsin are Medicare-certified to perform adequate reporting technique introduced by CMS. These reporting techniques include implant surgeries, patient falls or burns, hospital transfers and so on. All ASCs in the United States must go through the accreditation process of the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). This accreditation is necessary to ensure that the ASCs demonstrate the much-needed standards of healthcare.
The good news is that ASCs are essential in saving cost associated with healthcare systems. To this effect, ASCs provide high quality healthcare services at an affordable rate. So, the ASCs is a good choice for any patient who wants to perform surgical operation at an inexpensive rate. Thus, while the hospital-based surgery may cost a fortune, ASCs provide the same services provide the same service at a reduced fee. Interestingly, ASCs patients are always satisfied with the surgical procedure in ASCs. ASCs in the United States have been rated well because of the efficiency of the system and the convenience it provides.
Considering the number of ASCs available in the United States, it is important to note that states vary in terms of accessibility. The distribution of the centers in the states are not even. AcuityMD provides an estimated number of residents in different environment that makes use of ASCs closest to them. The report shows that Vermont has the highest number of residents that make use of ASCs in the region. The number of these residents are estimated to be a total of 312, 489. On the other hand, Maryland is regarded as the first state with a highly rated ASC concentration.
Interestingly, the ASCs in the United States are almost within reach for all citizens of the country. Residents who want to make use of ASCs are required to drive about 11 miles to get to these centers and access ASC-based care. While this is a good development, it is also estimated that about 34 million Americans do not live within close reach to the ASCs. As such, they may have to drive about 30 miles to make use of the ASCs.
Several rural states in the US do not have ASCs that are close to them. Unfortunately, they are forced to go long distances to make use of the services provided by ASCs. Given the nature of surgical operations in ASCs, it is often a difficult activity for patients to move to and from the center considering it performs same-day operation. This mainly affects residents in rural areas such as Alaska, Montana and even South Dokata.
The number of ASCs in the United States shows how great the healthcare industry is doing in the country. With the health needs of individuals considered a priority, ASCs are made available in every state in the United States. The same-day surgical operation that is performed in this country gives premium to the desire to meet the health standards of the country. With this development, ASCs can comfortably perform surgical operations on patients at a reduced cost as compared to hospital. To this effect, the healthcare facility is readily made available to patients who have been diagnosed of an ailment that requires surgical operation. Although the residents of rural communities may go through rigorous processes to access ASCs, it does not rule out the fact that the 5,300 ASCs in the US is a positive development in the healthcare industry.
https://www.wisc-asc.org/page/asc
https://www.beckersasc.com/asc-news/the-number-of-ascs-in-the-us-a-state-by-state-breakdown.html
