Shyroll Morris, senior vice president and chief strategy officer of Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth’s East Florida division, shared with Becker’s the health system’s ASC strategy and how it brought local physicians into closer alignment.
In many established markets, health systems focus primarily on employed physicians. But AdventHealth found that forming strong partnerships with independent community providers can drive mutual success, Ms. Morris said.
Particularly as private equity cools off, physicians are looking for alternative income streams. That’s where the ASCs can come in.
A recent development in East Florida illustrates this strategy in action. AdventHealth partnered with two major physician groups— Cardiology Physicians and North Florida Surgeons — to build not just an ASC, but a joint-venture medical office building housed in the same facility.
“It’s been an amazing partnership,” she said. “The physicians are involved in everything — equipment selection, space planning, how we show up in the community. They’re invested literally and figuratively.”
The response has been strong. In the first syndication wave, 15 physicians invested, and there’s already a waitlist for the next round.
“They’ve been great financial and operational partners,” she said. “In fact, we’ve taken some of the operational practices from the ASCs and implemented them in the hospital. Having physician partners involved in operations has been hugely beneficial for us.”
This model also supports recruitment, she added. The ASC ownership structure offers younger physicians a path to additional income, which strengthens the value proposition for community-based groups.
“More and more, when we are recruiting for the hospital, providers are asking, ‘Will I be able to invest in the ASC?’” she said. “So, having partnerships with community or independent physician groups is a real advantage. They’re recruiting physicians who want to invest in ASCs, and those new hires are choosing to join the ASC side.”
Giving physicians true ownership and a seat at the table has been a “game-changer,” according to Ms. Morris.
“It creates alignment. It doesn’t feel like ‘us versus them,’” she said. “It’s very collaborative. Not every patient belongs in an ASC, and not every patient belongs in a hospital. Having both options ensures the right care in the right setting, and that helps everyone grow.”
The partnership has also improved hospital throughput. Instead of competing for cases, the ASC handles lower-acuity procedures, freeing up hospital capacity for higher-acuity patients.
This collaboration illustrates a new wave of ASC and hospital relationships, playing to each other’s strengths rather than competition.
“Hospital CEOs struggled with that at first. It’s hard to watch cases leave the hospital,” she said. “But I manage the ASC side, and we’ve really emphasized that both can grow. The market grows when the physicians are aligned with both the ASC and the hospital. We’re all in it together.”
The approach has even sparked new collaborative opportunities.
“Some of the independent docs have actually started reaching out to us to collaborate on new ventures,” she said. “They feel like we’re truly in it together. That’s rare in healthcare — to be equal partners with independent providers and to build something together.”
One of the most surprising developments came from a fiercely independent physician group that was initially skeptical of AdventHealth’s motives.
“They were worried we’d try to take over their business or push them into employment,” she said. “But, after a year in the ASC with us, they’re now asking, ‘Can you help us grow in other markets? Are there more ASCs or practices we can build together?’”
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