Legal/Regulatory Issues The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has finalized a consent order involving Ascension’s proposed $3.9 billion acquisition of AMSURG. The FTC’s final consent order requires Ascension to divest seven AMSURG ASCs across Nashville, Tenn.; Panama City, Fla.; Tulsa, Okla.; Waco, Texas and Wichita, Kan. Six of the centers will be divested…
Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) physicians have a issued a stark warning for patients, as well as for hospitals and ASCs who operate ENT service lines. According to a new survey of 1,406 ENT docs from the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS), eight out of 10 say…
Over a dozen surgical organizations today urged CMS to ensure that its episode-based payment models support the use of non-opioid pain management therapies. The request was made in a letter to CMS Deputy Administrator Abe Sutton that was led by Voices for Non-Opioid Choices, “a nonpartisan coalition that works to…
The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) and over a dozen other organizations today urged CMS to ensure that its episode-based payment models support the use of non-opioid pain management therapies. The request was made in a letter to CMS Deputy Administrator Abe Sutton that was led by Voices for Non-Opioid…
A jury has found that Northwest Arkansas Hospitals must pay $105,000 in damages to a former surgical tech employee who complained of sexual discrimination. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed the suit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas in…
A Chester Township, Ohio, woman has been indicted on felony charges by the Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office for allegedly stealing fentanyl and other drugs from the unidentified ASC where she worked. “Chandra L. Wozniak, 53, is charged with one count of possession of a fentanyl-related compound, a fourth-degree felony; one…
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced that EyePoint, a manufacturer of therapeutics for ophthalmic applications, has agreed to pay $4,678,981 to resolve allegations that it paid kickbacks to induce ASCs to purchase its drug DEXYCU. The government alleges that EyePoint violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and the…
Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) announced that eight of its hospitals are now unified under a single hospital license. The health system stated that this administrative change will help it operate as a more connected health system, with providers able to share information more easily, coordinate care more quickly…
The United States Attorney’s Offices for the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia announced that West Virginia University Health System (WVUHS) agreed to pay $4,177,139 and enter a three-year Memorandum of Agreement with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to resolve civil allegations after the agency’s investigation found that the…
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has “applauded” the introduction of the bipartisan Patients First Act of 2026, which it calls a “comprehensive” Medicare physician payment reform proposal that would “help stabilize Medicare physician practices, strengthen quality measurement, and support safer, more reliable care for Medicare beneficiaries.” “This legislation represents…
