Eight ASCs in the United States Embracing Medical Tourism

Written by Laura Miller | Becker's ASC Review | June 21, 2012

Here are eight ambulatory surgery centers that have embraced medical tourism in the United States and attract patients from other countries. 

Red Rock Surgery Center (Las Vegas). Red Rock Surgery Center reaches out to its Las Vegas community as well as patients from around the world with their medical tourism branch. The surgery center was founded more than 10 years ago and surgeons perform approximately 1,000 procedures there annually. The center includes three operating rooms and one minor laser procedure room, allowing surgeons to perform a multitude of cases at the ASC. Medical staff at the center includes ophthalmologists, plastic surgeons, pain management physicians, hand surgeons, general surgeons and podiatrists. Red Rock Surgery Center is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care and owned by David Malitz, MD.

The Surgery Center at Doral (Doral, Fla.). The Surgery Center at Doral includes interventional pain management, urology, general surgery and hand and upper extremity surgery. Alejandro Badia, MD, founded Badia Hand to Shoulder Center which works with the International Orthopedic Group to serve inbound medical tourist patients, who have their surgeries at The Surgery Center at Doral. The surgery center has three operating rooms, arthroscopic equipment and family waiting room. After traveling for their surgery, patients are able to stay at a hotel located near the center for recovery, often accompanied by a recovery room nursing staff. The patients are able to have rehabilitation and follow up visits while staying for a few days in the area.

Legacy Neurosurgery Spine & Brain Specialists Outpatient Surgery Center (Little Rock, Ark.). Legacy Neurosurgery Spine & Brain Specialists has served patients who travel across the country to have their surgery performed at a lower cost than it would be at their local hospital. They often serve cash-pay or high deductible patients traveling long distances. Led by Scott Schlesinger, MD, the team of neurosurgeons performs minimally invasive spine surgery as well as non-operative pain management procedures. The brain disorders they treat include brain tumors, aneurysms and arterial venous malformations. Additional services at the center include physical therapy.

Orthopedic Surgery Center of Orange County (Newport Beach, Calif.). The Orthopedic Surgery Center of Orange County is owned by the Orthopedic Specialists of Southern California and Hoag Hospital. It is a medical tourism facility associated with Patients Without Borders and has been an accredited ambulatory surgery center since 1999. Surgeons perform several procedures at the center, including ACL reconstruction, meniscus repair, shoulder surgery and spine surgery. The center is contracted with major insurance companies and will bill non-contracted payors. 

Surgery Center of Oklahoma (Oklahoma City). Surgery Center of Oklahoma is a 32,535-square-foot facility that is owned and operated by surgeons and anesthesiologists in central Oklahoma. The facility has been accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care since 1998 and includes prices for their services on the ASC website to attract patients of self-pay, self-insured or high-deductible plans. Surgeons at the ASC perform orthopedics, general surgery, ophthalmology, and ENT procedures. There are multiple lodging areas near the surgery center for patients to stay after their procedures. According to the ASC's website, they are able to offer lower prices since they don't have to process claims and there is no risk of non-payment.

Concord (N.H.) Ambulatory Surgery Center. Concord Ambulatory Surgery Center is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care and provides ENT, orthopedics, plastic surgery, general surgery and pain management procedures. The facility has two operating rooms, four bed preparation areas and eight station recovery areas. Concord Ambulatory Surgery Center provides complete coordinated care to Canadian patients, which includes scheduling appointments, travel, accommodation and transportation to the facility. The procedures offered to medical tourism patients include knee arthroscopy, ACL reconstruction, liposuction, tonsillectomy and rotator cuff repair.

Loveland (Colo.) Surgery Center. Kenneth Pettine, MD, spine surgeon and co-owner of Loveland Surgery Center, noticed that patients were traveling to India and Germany to pay cash for procedures such as lumbar artificial disc replacement, which some insurance companies do not cover, although the technology is cleared by the FDA and surgeons in the United States can perform them. He felt he could provide these patients the same quality procedure at Loveland Surgery Center at a lower price if the patients were willing to pay cash. The cash price includes implant, surgeon, facility and anesthesia fees. Loveland Surgery Center is a Joint Commission-accredited facility.

Squaw Peak Surgery Center (Phoenix). Squaw Peak Surgery Center was founded in 1998 by Anthony Yeung, MD, and has two operating rooms. The surgeons perform endoscopic spine surgery and a dorsal endoscopic rhizotomy surgery invented and developed by Dr. Yeung. The surgery center can accommodate cash pay patients and Dr. Anthony's practice, Desert Institute for Spine Care, offers to coordinate care for medical tourists. The surgery center also has negotiated discounted rates at area hotels for their patients. The surgeons are team spine surgeons for several professional athletes, including the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds.


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