ASC Leadership Series

Ambulatory Surgery Center Governance

A Guide for Ambulatory Surgery Center Owners & Governing Body Members

Second Edition

Governance is where compliance succeeds — or fails

Every ambulatory surgery center that runs into serious trouble eventually faces the same question: what did the governing body know, and what did it do about it?

In this fully updated Second Edition, veteran ASC advisor John J. Goehle gives owners and board members a clear, practical guide to the responsibilities they assume and the regulations they must answer to. An ASC's governing body carries real regulatory weight — yet owners and board members often step into the role without a clear picture of what CMS expects. This book closes that gap.

It is an essential resource for every ASC, and serves as a companion to The Survey Guide for ASCs.

Inside this edition

  • The Emergency Preparedness Condition for Coverage and the five CMS-approved accreditors
  • A closer look at the four hardest governance duties, plus the ten most common governance deficiencies
  • What's really at stake — the consequence cascade, board-member liability, and real-world scenarios
  • A complete Governance Toolkit: onboarding, an annual calendar, a board-vs-management RACI, a self-assessment, surveyor Q&A, and a new-board roadmap
  • Sample agendas and minutes for the governing body, medical executive, and QAPI committees, plus an accreditor governance crosswalk
  • Worksheets, a glossary, and an index

Second Edition, 2026 · ISBN 979-8-18459-430-9. Whether you're forming a new center, joining a board, or preparing for your next survey, this is the desk reference that belongs in every ASC boardroom.

Editions & availability

Second Edition

Coming Soon

Fully updated · Paperback · ISBN 979-8-18459-430-9

The new edition, expanded with the Governance Toolkit, accreditor crosswalk, and sample board documents. Join the notify list to hear the moment it's available.

First Edition (2015)

Available Now

Paperback & Kindle · ISBN 978-1-329-25276-9

The original edition is available today on Amazon in paperback and Kindle while the Second Edition is in production.