Ambulatory Surgery Centers Boost New Jersey Economy

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — New Jersey’s ambulatory surgical center (ASC) industry has helped to contribute more than $3 billion to the state’s economy, according to a new study by the New Jersey Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers (NJAASC).

The study surveyed 54 New Jersey ASCs to collect data on the number of employees, total operational expenses and taxes, and fees paid to the state.

The study found that the ASC industry employed 9,100 people full-time, generated $73 million in tax revenue, and that for every dollar spent by facilities, more than $2 of economic value was generated. It also found that on average each ambulatory surgery center in New Jersey had total operating expenditures of $4.3 million.

“The findings of the Economic Impact Study make an inarguable case for ASCs as a key component of our local, state and federal health care delivery platforms,” said NJAASC President Larry Trenk in a statement. “As a critical component of New Jersey’s health care system, ASCs provide high-quality care while containing costs. In addition, they fuel the state’s economic engine by providing jobs and generating economic activity statewide.”

Currently, there are 364 ASCs operating in New Jersey. These facilities perform a wide range of same-day surgical procedures, including diagnostic and preventative procedures. These include an array of knee, shoulder, spine and eye surgeries such as cataract surgery, spinal fusion, hernia repair and shoulder arthroscopy. Having the range of procedures in an ASC is having a positive effect on health care costs since treatment does not necessitate an overnight hospital stay. Of the 72 million surgical procedures performed in the U.S., nearly 70 percent occur in outpatient settings and report patient satisfaction rates of more than 90 percent, according to the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ACA).

“The price of having surgery in ASC settings can be half that of doing the same procedure in a hospital,” Trenk said in a statement. “In addition, infection rates are so low at ASCs that the chance of admitting a patient for follow-up treatment is very slim. Hospital admissions are a hidden but significant cost to the economy. ASCs represent a solution to help slow the growth in spending while increasing the value of care that patients receive.”