America's Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers 2023

By Ed Barredo

Ambulatory surgical centers are facilities where patients can have common surgical procedures that don't require them to be hospitalized—common things like cataract surgery or a colonoscopy. Unlike patients who need more involved surgeries performed in hospitals, ambulatory surgical patients have the operation and then are usually back home the same day.

There are over 5,000 Medicare-certified ambulatory surgery centers around the country in all the major surgical specialties —orthopedic surgery, cardiac surgery, eye surgery, spinal surgery and so on. To help our readers make knowledgeable choices when they seek surgical care for themselves or their loved ones, Newsweek has for the third year partnered with respected global research firm Statista to name America's Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers.

This year we've expanded our list to 510 facilities, up from 470 last year. We've awarded the facilities in the 25 states with the most facilities (according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) by individual state and have grouped facilities in the remaining states into four regions: Northeast, Midwest, West and South. Our rankings are based on recommendations by medical professionals and a careful analysis of the facilities' performance data.

We hope our rankings help you make your own choices with confidence.

Nancy Cooper Signature 5

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America’s Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers 2023

Rank

Center

Score

City

State

1Cedars Sinai - 90210 Surgery Medical Center95.95%Beverly HillsCalifornia2UCLA Health - Ambulatory Surgery Center Westwood87.01%Los AngelesCalifornia3SCA Health - UCSD Center for Surgery of Encinitas86.11%EncinitasCalifornia4SCA Health - Surgical Center of San Diego84.23%San DiegoCalifornia5Hoag Endoscopy Center84.17%Newport BeachCalifornia6Sutter Health - Surgery Center Mountain View83.80%Mountain ViewCalifornia7Newport Beach Surgery Center83.69%Newport BeachCalifornia8Aspen Surgery Center - Simi Valley83.67%Simi ValleyCalifornia9Scripps - Clinic Carmel Valley83.54%San DiegoCalifornia10SCA Health - University Ambulatory Surgery Center83.40%San DiegoCalifornia11Scripps - Clinic Rancho Bernardo Ambulatory Surgery Center83.38%San DiegoCalifornia12Sutter Health - Surgery Center Palo Alto83.36%Palo AltoCalifornia13Scripps - Mercy Surgery Pavilion83.26%San DiegoCalifornia14SCA Health - La Veta Surgical Center83.24%OrangeCalifornia15MemorialCare - Laguna Niguel Surgery Center83.05%Laguna NiguelCalifornia16The Oaks Surgery Center LP83.03%MurrietaCalifornia17SCA Health - Outpatient Surgery Center of La Jolla82.93%La JollaCalifornia18Desert Care Network - El Mirador Surgery Center82.87%Palm SpringsCalifornia19HCA Healthcare - Los Gatos Surgical Center82.67%Los GatosCalifornia20Sutter Health - Roseville Endoscopy Center82.57%RosevilleCalifornia21SCA Health - Inland Surgery Center82.27%RedlandsCalifornia22SCA Health - San Diego Endoscopy Center82.19%San DiegoCalifornia23Surgery Partners - Aspen Surgery Center82.16%Walnut CreekCalifornia24Surgery Partners - La Peer Surgery Center82.15%Beverly HillsCalifornia25SCA Health - Grossmont Surgery Center81.88%La MesaCalifornia26Advanced Diagnostic & Surgical Center81.85%AlhambraCalifornia27Scripps - Ambulatory Surgery Center - Ximed Building81.81%La JollaCalifornia28SCA Health - MemorialCare Surgical Center at Orange Coast81.43%Fountain ValleyCalifornia29SCA Health - Glenwood Surgery Center81.37%RiversideCalifornia30SCA Health - Barranca Surgery Center81.36%IrvineCalifornia31Mid Valley Surgery Center81.31%OntarioCalifornia32Surgery Partners - Specialty Surgical Center Of Encino80.93%EncinoCalifornia33MemorialCare - The Surgical Center at Saddleback80.76%Laguna HillsCalifornia34SCA Health - North Coast Surgery Center80.75%OceansideCalifornia35SCA Health - MemorialCare Surgical Center Laguna Woods80.66%Laguna HillsCalifornia36Huntington Ambulatory Surgery Center80.64%PasadenaCalifornia37Scripps - Encinitas Surgery Center80.57%EncinitasCalifornia38Waverley Surgery Center80.38%Palo AltoCalifornia39Sutter Health - Otay Lakes Surgery Center79.94%Chula VistaCalifornia40Santa Clarita Surgery Center LP79.93%Santa ClaritaCalifornia41HCA Healthcare - Los Robles Surgicenter79.80%Thousand OaksCalifornia42SCA Health - MemorialCare Outpatient Surgical Center - Long Beach79.62%Long BeachCalifornia43Sutter Health - Surgery Center Fremont78.82%FremontCalifornia44Cedars Sinai - Surgery Center of the Pacific - Santa Monica78.78%Santa MonicaCalifornia45Sutter Health - Sierra Surgery Center78.62%RosevilleCalifornia46Surgery Partners - Specialty Surgical Center of Irvine78.60%IrvineCalifornia47Surgery Partners - Specialty Surgical Center of Westlake Village78.05%Westlake VillageCalifornia48Sutter Health - Santa Barbara Endoscopy Center77.64%Santa BarbaraCalifornia49SCA Health - Channel Islands Surgicenter77.14%OxnardCalifornia50Sovereign Healthcare - Hoag Endoscopy Center77.12%IrvineCalifornia

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LICENSING

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METHODOLOGY

The 3rd edition of America's Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers awards the leading 510 ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) in the US based on quality of care, performance data and peer recommendations, relative to in-state competition.

The 25 states with the most facilities according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) were surveyed individually. The remaining states were grouped into 4 regions: Northeast, Midwest, West, South. ASCs from these states were considered accordingly.

Included ASCs operate exclusively for the purpose of providing surgical services to patients not requiring hospitalization and in which the expected duration of services would not exceed 24 hours following an admission.

Over 5,000 ASCs were analyzed resulting in a varying number of ASCs awarded per state: California had 85 ASCs awarded, while Mississippi is represented with 4 ASCs.

To create the ranking, a score was calculated for each ASC that was part of the analysis. The total score is based on reputation and KPI data sources.

Reputation Score
The Reputation score (67 percent of total score) is based on three-sub scores:
• Recommendations
• Quality Score
• COVID-19 Score

1. Recommendation score:
In cooperation with Newsweek, from August to September 2022, Statista invited over 4,000 medical professionals (medical doctors/surgeons, registered nurses, nursing assistants, therapists) and staff working in the management/administration in ASCs to an online survey. Additionally, experts from all over the U.S. were able to participate in a survey on newsweek.com.

Participants were asked to recommend up top 10 notable ASCs in their respective state. Recommendations for their own employers were not allowed.

Recommendations received different weights depending on the order in which they were given, with the first recommendation being assigned the highest weight and the tenth best facility receiving the lowest weight.

The recommendation score constitutes 70 percent of the reputation score.

2. Quality and COVID-19 score:
For each recommended ASCs participants were asked to rate four quality dimensions on a scale from 1 ("Poor") to 10 ("Excellent").

- Management during COVID-19 crisis (e.g., safety & hygiene measures)

- Management of waiting time (e.g., appointments)

- Quality of surgical care (e.g., procedure)

- Quality of follow-up care (e.g., physical therapies)

The quality score constitutes 20 percent and the COVID-19 score constitutes 10 percent of the reputation score.

KPI Score
The KPI score (33 percent of total score) is based on:

The Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services which provides KPI data for ASCs.

The KPI data includes the following measures:
o Measure 1: Endoscopy/Polyp Surveillance: Appropriate Follow-up Interval for Normal Colonoscopy in Average Risk Patients

o Measure 2: Cataracts: Improvement in Patient's Visual Function within 90 Days Following Cataract Surgery

o Measure 3: Facility 7-Day-Risk-Standardized Hospital Visit Rate after Outpatient Colonoscopy

o Measure 4: Normothermia Outcome

o Measure 5: Unplanned Anterior Vitrectomy

o Measure 6: Hospital Visits after Orthopedic ASC Procedures

o Measure 7: Hospital Visits after Urology ASC Procedures

For a center to receive a KPI data score it must have reported a minimum of 2 measures within the reporting period. Centers that reported fewer measures did not receive a KPI data score and were rated based on the reputation survey score only.

Disclaimer
The rankings are comprised exclusively of facilities that are eligible regarding the scope described in this methodology. The ranking is the result of an elaborate process which, due to the interval of data-collection and analysis, is a reflection of the last 12 months. Furthermore, events preceding or following the period 21/09/2021-21/09/2022 and/or pertaining to individual persons affiliated/associated to the facilities were not included in the metrics. As such, the results of this ranking should not be used as the sole source of information for future deliberations.

The information provided in this ranking should be considered in conjunction with other available information about ASCs or, if possible, accompanied by a visit to a facility. The quality of ASCs that are not included in the rankings is not disputed.

You can download the full methodology here.