Every August, the healthcare community celebrates National ASC Month — a time to recognize the innovation, efficiency, and patient-first care that ambulatory surgery centers bring to modern medicine.
This month is not just about facilities or technology. It’s about the people who make ASCs work — surgeons operating on their own terms, nurses and surgical techs who bring precision to every case, and administrators who keep everything running seamlessly.
In the U.S., more than 80% of all surgeries are now performed in outpatient settings — a milestone that reflects growing demand for safe, efficient, and accessible surgical care.
In 2021 alone, over 6,000 Medicare-certified ASCs treated 3.3 million beneficiaries, showing how central ASCs have become to reducing surgical wait times, lowering costs, and easing pressure on hospitals.
For physicians, the appeal is clear: ASCs are designed to respect your time and autonomy. National data show procedures in ASCs take 25% less time than in hospitals — nearly 32 minutes saved per case. That time means more predictable schedules, more patients seen, and less administrative delay.
Safety isn’t sacrificed for speed: A 2023 matched study showed that 30-day revisit rates were lower for ASC patients (6.2%) than for those treated in hospital outpatient settings (8.1%). Similarly, complication rates were significantly lower in ASCs (28.8% vs. 41.3%).
Cost-savings are real and measurable: Pediatric orthopedic day surgeries in ASCs—compared to university hospitals—show 17%–43% direct cost savings, with 64 minutes of OR time and 17 minutes of anesthesia time saved per case playing major roles.
Facility fees are significantly lower: Ambulatory surgery centers typically have facility fees that are less than half of what hospitals charge for the same procedures.
Ambulatory surgery centers offer greater physician autonomy and operational control:
Physicians often participate in ownership or governance—studies show this occurs in a significant share of ASCs, empowering surgeons to influence staffing, scheduling, and instrumentation.
While national-level data is proprietary, most ASCs are physician-influenced, reinforcing the clinician-driven environment.
At Innovia Surgery Center in Wood Dale, Illinois, we see the benefits of the ASC model every day:
Dedicated block scheduling that keeps physicians in control of their time
State-of-the-art ENT surgical instruments for advanced cases
A cohesive, highly trained OR team ensuring efficient turnover and consistent safety protocols
Our collaborative model reflects what ASC Month celebrates — surgical environments built to serve both physicians and patients at the highest level.
National ASC Month is more than an observance — it’s a reminder that healthcare innovation is about how care is delivered.
Ambulatory surgery centers prove that surgery can be faster without sacrificing safety, more affordable without reducing quality, and more physician-friendly without compromising patient outcomes.
To every surgeon, nurse, surgical tech, and administrator working in ASCs — thank you for redefining modern surgical care and making it better for all.
Requesting an appointment is easy at Innovia Surgery Center. Just complete the brief form below and a member of our scheduling team will contact you with available appointment times that will conveniently fit your schedule.
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Innovia was created to offer outstanding quality care that is both convenient and affordable. We can offer high-quality care at low costs because we are completely independent, private, and physician-owned and operated. This means we can control every aspect of our facility and process, from the supplies we purchase to the most efficient utilization of staff to the elimination of wasteful operating room practices. We are truly committed to providing you the best quality care available.
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When you’re looking for minimally invasive, high-quality ambulatory surgical care, look to Innovia Surgery Center. Call us at 847-385-0700 or Request an Appointment here. We serve people from Wood Dale, Chicago, Schaumburg, Elk Grove and all Northwest Suburbs
