Photo by Heather Cathcart-Norris After 20 years of service, the Pine Grove ASC announced on Thursday, December 19, that the closure is effective immediately.

Pine Grove Ambulatory Surgery Center announced its unexpected closure on December 19, 2024, through a statement on its Facebook page. The decision to cease operations was shared on the same day as the closure.

“It’s been an incredible journey, and we are so grateful to the patients, families, and healthcare professionals who have been part of it,” read the statement. “We are truly honored to have had the privilege of caring for you and your loved ones over the years.”

In 2023, the last year state data is available, the Pine Grove Ambulatory Surgery Center had 15 full-time and 14 part-time workers, including five full-time and one part-time administrators and assistants, five part-time physicians, five full-time and four part-time registered nurses, three part-time nurse anesthetists, two unlicensed assistive workers, three full-time operation room technicians, one part-time radiologic worker.

State data showed the Pine Grove center had one eye doctor, one ear, nose and throat doctor, two podiatrists and one other doctor with an unlisted specialty.

The center emphasized that patients could still access their medical records. Records can be obtained at the surgery center during normal business hours, from 6am to 4pm, until January 10, 2024. After this date, patients seeking additional details or assistance can call 814-757-5819 for further support.

Ambulatory surgery, also known as outpatient surgery, office surgery, or same-day surgery, is a surgical procedure that doesn’t require an overnight hospital stay. Ambulatory surgery can be performed at an ambulatory surgery center like the Pine Grove facility rather than in a hospital. According to state data, the Pine Grove Ambulatory Surgery Center had 2,778 total visits in 2023, though no other data was given related to the age of those using the facility. According to state data, patient revenue at the Pine Grove Ambulatory Center had increased over the past three years from $2,583,000 to $3,508,000 in 2023, though spending had also gone up from $2,591,000 to $3,587,000 in 2023.