Surgical Care Affiliates

In 1982, a trio of healthcare entrepreneurs, Joel Gordon, Andrew “Woody” Miller, and Jack Massey, identified a fundamental shift in healthcare. They saw a future where many surgical procedures would move from costly hospitals to more efficient, specialized outpatient centers. This insight led to the creation of Surgical Care Affiliates (SCA) in Nashville, Tennessee. Their playbook was straightforward: build and acquire ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), creating a focused, lower-cost alternative for routine surgeries. The company grew steadily, and by 1995, it operated nearly 70 facilities. This success attracted a major player, and HealthSouth acquired SCA in a billion-dollar deal, integrating it into its outpatient division. However, the SCA story was far from over. In 2007, the brand was reborn when HealthSouth's surgery division was spun out with private equity backing. The new Surgical Care Affiliates, now headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, embarked on a new chapter of growth. Under new leadership, SCA refined its model, focusing on partnerships with physicians and health systems. This collaborative approach fueled rapid expansion. The company went public in 2013, raising over $230 million in its IPO to further its growth. A pivotal moment arrived in 2017 when Optum, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, saw SCA as a key piece in its own strategy. Optum acquired SCA for approximately $2.3 billion, integrating it into its OptumCare platform to build a comprehensive ambulatory care network. Today, as SCA Health, the company continues to expand the frontier of specialty care, a testament to its founders' original vision.