SPOTLIGHT: Ambulatory surgery centers

The increasing popularity of ambulatory surgery centers is examined in today's New York Times. There are now about 4,600 surgery centers around the country, according to industry sources, a marked increase from 3,000 only five years ago. The trend is clearly "away from the hospital," as one expert puts it. One-in-five surgeries is now performed at such facilities. The question is: is that an entirely good thing? Some critics are doubtful, arguing that safety can be a problem at the facilities, which typically lack the resources of larger hospitals should something go wrong. Defenders say the numbers don't bear that out. Story

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