Summary4 min read

Podcast Summary: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

Guest: Todd Currier, Administrator at Bend Surgery Center
Host: Francesca Matthews
Date: August 18, 2025
Episode Focus: Trends, strategic growth, and advocacy in the ASC industry

Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth conversation with Todd Currier, CEO and Administrator of Bend Surgery Center in Bend, Oregon. Todd shares his insights on the most significant trends impacting ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), including mergers and acquisitions, case volume expansion, and technology adoption. The discussion also covers his approach to strategic growth, excitement about industry developments, and ongoing advocacy challenges, especially around reimbursement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Todd Currier’s Background and Role

[00:22] Todd introduces his career path, starting as a CPA and becoming drawn to ambulatory surgery centers through one of his clients.
Now, he leads a large, multi-specialty ASC with 8 operating rooms and 6 procedure rooms, handling about 12 different specialties and growing volumes.
- Quote:
  “We truly multi specialty, do about 12 different specialties and have increasing volume as we've expanded over the last few years.” (Todd Currier, 00:29)

2. Top Trends in Healthcare & the ASC World

Mergers and Acquisitions:
Significant increase in hospitals, management companies, and independents acquiring or expanding ASCs.
- Quote:
  “It's a growth market right now for ASCs. We're in a great trend right now.” (Todd Currier, 01:32)
Increased Case Volume and Case Mix:
Expansion of ASC allowable procedures due to proposed CMS rule changes, especially in orthopedics and cardiac procedures.
Robotics & Technology:
Surge in the adoption of robotics for more advanced cases and a focus on using technology for safe, efficient outpatient procedures.
- Quote:
  “Looking at the types of cases that can be done within an ASC setting, you know, safely done and still, you know, patients be able to go home. Quality outcomes.” (Todd Currier, 01:56)

3. Strategic Growth Priorities for the Next 12 Months

[02:58] Todd outlines strategic questions behind future growth:
- Evaluating the impact of proposed CMS rules before expanding service lines.
- Reviewing current case mix and exploring potential for growth.
- Assessing the cost-benefit of investing in robotics.
- Considering AI and new software to drive efficiency and operational performance.
- Quote:
  “Do we look into robotics and, and start doing robotic cases at our center and what is the cost benefit of doing that?” (Todd Currier, 03:23)
  “Whether it's AI, whether it's software based, other software based systems that will increase our efficiencies, that those are areas that we're really looking at.” (Todd Currier, 03:41)

4. Industry Excitement & Advocacy

[04:06] Todd shares optimism about the direction of the ASC industry and responsiveness from CMS in rulemaking.
- He stresses the importance of ASCs as valuable community care providers.
Reimbursement Concerns:
Ongoing advocacy needed to address reimbursement disparities between ASCs and hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs), particularly due to the “secondary weight scalar.”
- Quote:
  “We need to continue to advocate and lobby with, with CMS and our legislators that we need to get this corrected.” (Todd Currier, 04:59)
Continued Engagement:
Emphasizes that active involvement is key to advancing the ASC agenda and mitigating policy setbacks.
- Quote:
  “It's imperative for all of us to remain active and continue to advocate for our industry and so that... we need to mitigate where those losses are so that we can continue to provide the high quality care we do every single day.” (Todd Currier, 05:29)

5. Closing Thoughts

[05:57] Todd recognizes National ASC Month and expresses appreciation for participating in the podcast, reiterating his optimism for the industry’s future.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On industry excitement and public policy:
“I'm very excited about the direction and proposed rules that... we've seen some, some great leaps and bounds that were or being heard by CMS.” (Todd Currier, 04:09)
On advocacy:
“We have those wins and losses, but we need to mitigate where those losses are so that we can continue to provide the high quality care we do every single day.” (Todd Currier, 05:35)
On National ASC Month:
“August is national ASC Month, so I appreciate you having me on and look forward to positive impacts we have going into the future.” (Todd Currier, 06:01)

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:22 – Todd Currier’s background and Bend Surgery Center overview
01:15 – Top 3 trends in the ASC industry
02:58 – Approaching strategic growth for the coming year
04:06 – Why Todd is optimistic about the future of ASCs
04:44 – Challenges in reimbursement and ongoing advocacy
05:57 – Closing remarks & National ASC Month recognition

Tone & Style

Todd speaks in a practical, optimistic, and advocacy-focused tone, emphasizing both the opportunities and the policy challenges facing ambulatory surgery centers today.

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Transcript17 lines

[00:00]
A
Hello, this is Francesca Matthews with the Beckers ASC Review podcast. I'm thrilled to be joined today by Todd Currier, casc cpa, CEO and Administrator of Ben Surgery Center. Todd, thank you so much for being here today.
[00:15]
B
Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here today.
[00:17]
A
Yeah. Just to start off, could you please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your background?
[00:22]
B
Sure. Again, my name is Todd Currier. I run Bend Surgery center in Bend, Oregon. We're a large multi specialty center. We have eight operating rooms and six procedure rooms. We truly multi specialty, do about 12 different specialties and have increasing volume as we've expanded over the last few years. Past history. I've been in the industry for about 20 years now and prior to that I was CPA and then my largest client was a surgery center and fell in love with the aspect of it and jumped ship about 20 years ago and look forward to the future.
[01:07]
A
Excellent. Great. And what are the top three trends that you're following in healthcare and the ASC world today?
[01:16]
B
I think the top things that I'm following is the mergers and acquisitions that are happening within the ASC market. The hospitals acquiring ASCs, the management companies acquiring ASCs, just independents that are grow and expanding. It's a growth market right now for ASCs. We're in a great trend right now. So that's one area. I think another area is just increase of case volume and case mix. And so as we've seen with the proposed rule for 2026, a large expansion of types of cases that ASCs are now allowed to do, the expansion of the ASC covered procedure list. And so we're looking into the advanced orthopedics, cardiac types of procedures and probably leads me right into the third, third area of that I'm seeing trends in is just the use of robotics and technology, looking at the types of cases that can be done within an ASC setting, you know, safely done and still, you know, patients be able to go home. Quality outcomes. And looking into how that's going to expand over the next few years.
[02:38]
A
Absolutely. I feel like all three things you mentioned are kind of interconnected there, which kind of leads me to my next question, which is how are you thinking about growth over the next 12 months, specifically with regards to everything that you just mentioned, you know, that increasing case volume and mix, the M and A stuff, and also technology, I think for.
[02:58]
B
Us really looking at what is that strategic growth, what areas do we want to expand in? And so we're still looking, especially with the proposed rules. So Fresh and you know, it's not finalized yet, so we're going to take a look at that. But what areas do we want to expand in? Number one, do we look at our current case mix and volume and how do we increase that? Do we look at new technology? Do we look into robotics and, and start doing robotic cases at our center and what is the cost benefit of doing that? And probably the third thing on that area really is looking at how can we use technology to improve our growth going into the future. What areas of technology, whether it's AI, whether it's software based, other software based systems that will increase our efficiencies, that those are areas that we're really looking at that will assist in our growth.
[04:02]
A
Absolutely. And what are you most excited about right now?
[04:06]
B
I just have to be honest as I'm excited about the ASC industry. I, I'm very excited about the direction and proposed rules that we were seeing that we've seen some, some great leaps and bounds that were or being heard by cms. That is, you know, historically and as we go into the future, we are a great resource for our communities, for the care that we provide and the safe quality care that we provide every single day and that we can continue on into the future. There's few things within the proposed role that we still need to advocate for that, you know, where we're falling short in regards to, you know, the, the secondary weight scaler that takes effect, that we're really still seeing a disparity in our reimbursement stream as far as it's a growing disparity between ASC reimbursement and the hopd. And we need to continue to advocate and lobby with, with CMS and our legislators that we need to get this corrected.
[05:17]
A
Absolutely. It sounds like there's, there's some wins in the recent proposed rules and then definitely some areas where folks are still kind of advocating for ASCs and particular particularly around that reimbursement issue.
[05:30]
B
That's correct. I think it's, it's imperative for all of us to remain active and continue to advocate for our industry and so that, you know, we have those wins and losses, but we need to mitigate where those losses are so that we can continue to provide the high quality care we do every single day.
[05:53]
A
Absolutely. Anything else that you'd like to add here?
[05:57]
B
No, I think the main part, I'm happy to be part of this podcast. August is national ASC Month, so I appreciate you having me on and look forward to positive impacts we have going into the future.
[06:13]
A
Excellent. Well, that is all I have for you today. Todd, thank you so much for joining us today. It has been a pleasure speaking with you, and I look forward to connecting with you again in the future.
[06:23]
B
Thank you very.
[06:28]
A
Much.