When it comes to choosing a strategic partner for your ASC, the stakes are high, says Christopher Birch, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Alta Orthopaedics in Santa Barbara, California. Birch is an investor in an existing ASC in Santa Barbara and an ASC under development in Orcutt, California. Both ASCs have strategic partners: a management company for the Santa Barbara center and a health system for the new Orcutt center. “Who you select as a partner will play a big role in whether you have a viable business, reach your growth goals and ultimately achieve the vision you have for your ASC,” Birch says.