Mindy Berman

BOSTON, MA–The number of hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers in the United States is almost equal with 5,532 surgery centers and 5,534 hospitals, according to JLL stats. Surgery centers have grown 82% since 2000 and the trend will continue into 2019.

“There's a mutual dance going on between the hospitals and surgery centers,” says Mindy Berman, Managing Director, JLL Capital Markets. “Hospitals are willing to drive care to lower costs settings like a surgery center because they are conscious of care and reimbursement. Surgery centers are able to provide acuity care and they can handle it on an outpatient basis.”

Surgery centers, which perform only same day surgeries and do not accommodate overnight patients, can be freestanding or in medical buildings and are typically 15,000 square feet with 3-5 operating rooms. They are usually conveniently located in the suburbs with free parking, newer and nicer facilities and not usually crowded with a very sick population.