SCA Health
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Healthcare |
| Founded | January 1, 1982 in Nashville, Tennessee, United States |
| Founder | Joel Gordon |
| Headquarters | Birmingham, Alabama , United States |
Area served | United States (35 states) |
Key people | Andrew Hayek (CEO) |
| Products | Management of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) |
Number of employees | 11,300 (2024) |
| Parent | Optum |
SCA Health (SCA), based in Birmingham, Alabama, manages a network of more than 300 ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) spanning 35 states, conducting upwards of 1 million outpatient procedures each year. Supported by a network of 9,200 affiliated physicians, SCA emphasizes collaboration among health plans, physician groups, and health systems to acquire, develop, and enhance surgical facilities. As of 2024, the company reported revenues of $5.0 billion and employs roughly 11,300 team members. Since March 2017, SCA has operated as a subsidiary of Optum.
History
Established in 1982 by entrepreneur Joel Gordon in Nashville, Tennessee, SCA’s initial growth involved acquiring and constructing surgery centers predominantly throughout the Southeastern United States. Gordon, who had previously founded General Care Corp (which was sold to HCA in 1980), joined forces with industry veterans Andrew “Woody” Miller and Jack Massey to launch SCA. By 1995, the company managed approximately 67 facilities.
In October 1995, HealthSouth acquired SCA for $1.2 billion, integrating its operations into HealthSouth’s Birmingham outpatient surgery division and becoming the leading outpatient surgery provider nationwide with 126 centers. HealthSouth continued expanding through acquisitions such as ASC Network Corp and National Surgery Centers, increasing its footprint to over 200 centers across 37 states.
In March 2007, private equity firm TPG Capital acquired HealthSouth’s surgery division for about $945 million, creating a new independent entity named SCA headquartered in Birmingham. Mike Snow was appointed as the inaugural CEO until Andrew Hayek succeeded him in May 2008. Hayek brought extensive experience from DaVita Healthcare Partners (now part of Optum) and Alliance Healthcare Services.
SCA launched its initial public offering (IPO) in October 2013. In January 2021, the company was indicted on federal charges related to labor market collusion involving non-solicitation agreements with competitors including DaVita Inc., which affected its corporate standing.
In May 2022, Surgical Care Affiliates rebranded as SCA Health to better represent its evolving business strategy and position within the healthcare sector.
Texas Health Resources
In October 2012, SCA collaborated with Texas Health Resources to develop and implement a surgical strategy targeting the Dallas/Fort Worth region. This alliance grew from managing two facilities to overseeing 25 centers by engaging community surgeons to expand market presence.
Monarch Healthcare
SCA formed a partnership with Monarch HealthCare, the largest private physician association in Orange County. After Monarch was acquired by Optum, UnitedHealth’s health services branch, in 2011, SCA entered into a joint venture with Monarch and Memorial Care Medical Foundation in 2013 to enhance surgical services across Southern California. This collaboration currently operates nine ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs).
Advocate Health Care
In 2015, SCA established a joint venture with Advocate Health Care, Illinois’ largest integrated healthcare delivery system, aiming to acquire and develop a network of surgery centers. The partnership now oversees a portfolio of 15 surgery centers with additional facilities under development.
SwiftPath
In May 2016, SCA made an investment in SwiftPath, LLC, a company specializing in evidence-based protocols designed to accelerate recovery for outpatient hip and knee replacement surgeries. The SwiftPath platform encompasses patient engagement tools, criteria for patient selection, and surgical methods that have undergone peer review. Currently, SCA manages 43 outpatient centers performing total joint replacement procedures.
One World Surgery
SCA acts as the main corporate collaborator with the nonprofit organization One World Surgery, which runs an ambulatory surgery center near Tegucigalpa, Honduras. This center is situated within a 2,000-acre orphanage that is part of the Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos network, which provides care for more than 500 children.