Digital Debut
Meet the Board
Get to know your officers through these short interviews
INTERVIEWED BY SAHELY MUKERJI | JUNE 26, 2025
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Mark Wainner
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In the coming months, we will be running a series of Q&As with ASCA’s board of directors to help our members get to know them better. We are starting off with Board President Mark Wainner, senior director of ASC Acquisitions and Development at Community Health Systems in Franklin, Tennessee.
Q: How did you get into the ASC space?
Mark Wainner (MW): I must thank Eric Zinckgraf, a former coworker at Amsurg, for my good fortune. In 1997, I was in pathology sales when Eric let me know about an opportunity with Amsurg. I came to Nashville and accepted the job, which turned into a great opportunity with a growing company that had an excellent culture and physician relationships. I spent the next 23 years with Amsurg.
Quick Facts
Personal:
Age: 57
Place of Birth: Cleveland, Tennessee
Residence: Franklin, Tennessee
Family: Spouse, Beth; two daughters, Emily and Courtney; and our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Knox.
Education: Bachelor of Science in Finance, University of Tennessee
Career highlights: President’s club in sales at Dianon Systems for multiple years; vice president at Amsurg at 32 years of age; past president of the Tennessee Ambulatory Surgery Center Association; current president of ASCA; inaugural class of the Nashville Health Care Council Fellows program; past chairman of Leadership Health Care
First job: Umpiring baseball for eight- to nine-year-olds. My first real job after I graduated from college was selling furniture.
One-word description of self: Trustworthy
Go-to motto or phrase: Learn from other people’s mistakes.
Your “superpower”: I’m a connector.
One thing most people at work do not know about you: I write songs, but can’t write music or play a musical instrument. Hit me up if you want to collaborate!
Q: What are your aspirations for ASCA?
MW: ASCA is the only national association representing ASCs; however, there are many surgery centers that are not members in the association and do not enjoy the benefits of ASCA. I want ASCA to continue to grow and bring valued-added services to all surgery centers.
Q: Who was a great mentor for you?
MW: I worked for Billie Payne at Amsurg for many years. She was a nurse, a teacher and a mother. She saw potential in me and helped me realize it. I am forever grateful for the mentoring and leadership from Billie during my career at Amsurg.
Q: What are you most proud of in your ASC work?
MW: My career at Amsurg. I held many leadership roles and was a significant part of the growth, from 35 surgery centers and $57 million in revenue in 1997 to more than 260 centers and $2 billion in revenue in 2020.
Q: If you could change one thing about the ASC community, what would it be?
MW: That’s a tough one. There are so many good things about the ASC community and the positive impact they have on patients. I would lessen the regulatory and compliance burdens on the ASC industry that are unnecessary, increase costs, and don’t bring value or improve patient quality.
Q: What excites you most about the future of ASCs?
MW: I am excited about new products and technologies that will allow more cases to be performed efficiently in the cost-effective, high-quality ASC setting.
Q: What legacy do you hope to leave in the ASC space?
MW: I hope people would say I was an ASC industry leader who dedicated many years of service to the ASC space and contributed to the growth and operational efficiency of ASCs through his professional career and volunteer work with ASCA and state associations.