Senate Resolution No. 1929

BY: Senator RIVERA

MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
August 2026, as Ambulatory Surgery Center Month in
the State of New York

WHEREAS, The State of New York takes great pride in recognizing
certain months of the year in the hopes of increasing awareness of
important medical advancements, conditions, education, treatment, and
care; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to memorialize
Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim August 2026, as Ambulatory Surgery
Center Month in the State of New York, in conjunction with the
observance of National Ambulatory Surgery Center Month; and

WHEREAS, For more than 50 years, Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASC)
have provided safe, high quality, cost-efficient surgical care for
millions of Americans, including New York State, where 182 independent
single and/or multispecialty facilities are in operation as licensed
diagnostic and treatment centers, as of January 2026, and further growth
is expected; and

WHEREAS, ASCs offer same-day non-emergent surgical care for
thousands of procedures for patients overseen by a physician led
clinical team to assure quality care and post-procedure follow-up which
were previously performed exclusively in hospitals; and

WHEREAS, First established in Phoenix, Arizona, today there are over
6,500 Medicare-certified Ambulatory Surgery Center facilities in the
United States and 211,175 healthcare professionals across the United
States, employed by ASCs, projecting to save $10 billion in 2026-2027
and up to $12.2 billion in 2028; and

WHEREAS, ASCs provide greater flexibility where routine non-emergent
surgical care can be obtained, often reducing the amount of time and
delay encountered by patients; and

WHEREAS, ASC facilities are fully licensed and accredited, adhering
to strict regulation and oversight by the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services and the Department of Health; and

WHEREAS, A specialization of specific surgical procedures at ASC
facilities ensure the quality of care and excellent outcome; and a
growing number are women- and minority-owned; and

WHEREAS, ASCs deserve our collective acknowledgment, recognition,
and gratitude for providing safe and efficient surgical treatment to New
Yorkers, striving to increase access to surgical care, and reducing
healthcare disparities; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim August 2026, as Ambulatory
Surgery Center Month in the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York, and the New York State Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers.