Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) are transforming the delivery of outpatient care in the United States. With over 6,500 centers nationwide, ASCs are one of the fastest-expanding practice settings for anesthesia providers.
As healthcare facilities, ASCs conduct a variety of procedures, including knee replacements, biopsies, colonoscopies, and pain management injections. These procedures require adequate anesthesia administration not only for success but also for patient comfort.
Although dwindling in numbers, anesthesiologists and CRNAs are critical members of ASC patient care teams. Losing an experienced provider to retirement or family leave can lead to patient migration. To maintain continuity of care, 80% of healthcare facilities have turned to locum tenens providers.
As a locum CRNA or anesthesiologist, ASCs value expertise in multiple anesthesia specialties as well as clinical experience. Working as a locum in ASCs is a great option if you’re preparing for retirement or improving career skills. Explore how you can take advantage of the opportunities in this growing sector.
What Makes Working as a Locum at ASCs Different?
ASCs revolve around efficiency, patient satisfaction, and outpatient care. From reliable
scheduling to predictable pace, working as a locum at ASCs brings benefits, like the following:
Job security
As outpatient services continue to expand, growth is expected to increase 18% over the next decade. While fighting a physician shortage, ASC owners look to locum CRNAs and anesthesiologists to fill the need.
Locum assignments with ASCs can be extended from just a few months to a long-term partnership over the years. In fact, most locum tenens providers spend six months or more on assignment.
Work-Life Balance
You can find an ASC in most cities nationwide, with one-third of providers taking assignments less than 50 miles from home. For many providers, ASC schedules allow the workday to begin and end earlier.
Additionally, the absence of on-call duties offers greater schedule flexibility. This benefit provides consistent value to healthcare professionals.
Predictable Pace
ASCs also offer a welcome “change of pace” for those seeking variety in their careers. With lower acuity and less complex cases, the environment creates a steadier workflow. This work
environment also offers a more predictable pace compared to other care settings.
Growth Opportunities
Working as a locum CRNA at an ASC is a great way to gain experience while working a schedule that best suits you.
General, cardiac, and pediatric anesthesia are common subspecialties needed for ASC outpatient procedures. The more experience you gain, the more marketable you are to locum tenens staffing partners.
Locum CRNAs can expect continued growth and stable career paths in the coming years as more ASCs adopt CRNA-dominant care teams during the physician shortage.
Why Are ASCs Looking for Locum Anesthesia Providers?
One reason why healthcare professionals leave traditional roles for locum tenens is to experience diverse practice settings.
Ambulatory surgery centers operate differently from hospital environments.
Here’s why ASCs are increasingly turning to locum anesthesiologists and CRNAs in the first place:
- Lean staffing models. Unlike hospitals with larger anesthesia departments, ASCs run with leaner teams. One provider on leave can disrupt the entire day’s surgical schedule. Locum providers enable ASC administrators to maintain continuity of care and avoid surgery cancellations.
- Scheduling and patient satisfaction pressures. ASCs thrive on efficiency and predictability. Locum anesthesiologists and CRNAs sit at the center of this balance, supporting both patients and surgeons. Facility leaders value locum coverage to keep cases on schedule or relieve their staff of call shifts.
- Future-thinking strategy. ASCs are already planning ahead! They’re moving away from using third-party anesthesia groups, wanting to build strong, in-house teams instead. Locum tenens providers can find success as facilities build future-thinking staffing strategies.
How to Find the Right Locums Partner
With demand for anesthesia providers growing, the next step is knowing how to connect with the right opportunities. When you work with a trusted locum tenens partner, you’re able to find legitimate jobs at the rate you deserve.
In 2025, anesthesiologists and CRNAs worked more than 12,800 shifts through Consilium. Our recruiters and account managers work together as your partner in locum tenens. With our expertise in anesthesiology, we help providers navigate profitable locum contracts at ambulatory surgery centers nationwide.
Search locum anesthesiology jobs today.
