ChristianaCare and Atlas Healthcare Partners to Develop Ambulatory Surgery Center Network

Today, ChristianaCare and Atlas Healthcare Partners are announcing the formation of a new joint venture to expand access to cost effective, high-quality surgical care by developing an ambulatory surgery center network in Delaware and across the mid-Atlantic region.

Ambulatory surgery centers, also known as ASCs, are health care facilities that offer outpatient or same-day surgical care. More often, surgeries are performed in surgery centers instead of hospitals, and this trend has increased since the pandemic because of technological advances that have enabled more surgeries to be done in an outpatient setting. Also, studies on consumer preference show that patient experience and satisfaction are key characteristics people consider when choosing an ambulatory surgery center, and patients rate ASCs with higher satisfaction and experience scores when compared with hospitals.

“Ambulatory surgery centers are an increasingly important part of the health care ecosystem, especially as advances in science and technology are enabling more and more procedures to be done safely in an outpatient setting,” said Jennifer Schwartz, chief strategy officer at ChristianaCare.

“By expanding the availability of ASCs throughout the region we serve, we’re helping to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to get cost efficient, high-quality, safe care, closer to where they live.”

Ambulatory surgery centers are not new for ChristianaCare, which currently operates a surgery center at its Newark campus and has part ownership of the Spine Surgery Center in Wilmington, Delaware, and Glasgow Surgery Center in Newark, Delaware.

Specialized facilities provide convenience and are cost-efficient

ASCs provide patients with a convenient and often cost-efficient alternative to traditional hospital settings. Some ASCs perform a wide range of procedures, and others are designed and staffed to specialize in specific types of procedures, such as orthopedic, gastrointestinal or cardiovascular.

Surgeons, as well as patients, value the convenience and efficiency that ASCs can provide, including enhanced flexibility in scheduling and the ability to design and optimize for specific types of procedures. This new network of ASCs will create new opportunities for collaboration and innovation, and ChristianaCare and Atlas Healthcare Partners look forward to engaging with the surgical community.

“As care continues to shift from inpatient to outpatient settings, this joint venture will enable ChristianaCare to rapidly expand access to high-quality, affordable care across the mid-Atlantic region,” said Aric Burke, president and CEO, Atlas Healthcare Partners.

“Our model offers best-in-class, comprehensive ASC development and management and aligns the health system, physicians and ASC team around the mission of delivering exceptional patient experience and outcomes.”

The partnership is a joint venture and will have its own board, which will include representatives from ChristianaCare and Atlas Healthcare Partners.