Can a hospital benefit from partnering with physicians?

The prospect of accountable care organizations gives hospitals good reason today to consider the benefits of developing an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) as a joint venture with physicians, as well as the risks of not pursuing such a strategy. A key potential benefit that such an ASC can offer a hospital is the ability to enhance a hospital's physician recruitment efforts and increase surgical volume. Another important consideration is whether the hospital and physicians possess the collective expertise, performance track record, capital, tenacity, perseverance, resources, and credibility to perform the necessary functions of the ASC on their own.