CONGRATULATIONS

2025 CASA AWARD FOR ASC EXCELLENCE WINNERS!

The announcement of the 2025 awards took place at the CASA Annual Conference, September 3-5, 2025. Award winners are highlighted below.

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On Thursday, September 4, 2025, CASA revealed the recipients of the 2025 CASA Award for ASC Excellence and the CASA ASC of the Year. The awards were established to acknowledge that California ASCs are drivers of excellent healthcare, providing opportunities and solutions for healthcare reform. In 2016, the CASA Board established the CASA Award for ASC Excellence as a mechanism to honor ASCs who strive to “rise to the top.” The program is built around 5 pillar categories acknowledging a CASA member facility that exemplifies best practices in the surgery center industry, plus actively promotes and advocates for ASC excellence and inclusion in the healthcare delivery system.

All of the centers recognized demonstrated significant involvement in the award pillar areas of:

Membership – Facility supports the ASC industry through active engagement in professional organizations.
Advocacy – Facility drives ASC-related legislation at both the Federal and State levels through education, action and financial contributions.
Quality Metrics – Facility drives transparency and clinical quality in the ASC through facility benchmarking and public reporting and superior performance of important metrics including outcomes, pricing, and patient satisfaction.
Education – Facility ensures clinical best practices, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance through ongoing patient, staff and physician education.
Community Involvement – Facility is actively engaged in educating the public regarding the benefits of ASCs and demonstrating leadership in improving the general health of their community.

The recipients submitted applications with supporting documentation demonstrating their commitment and involvement across the pillar categories. The applications were reviewed by a select, unbiased committee, who chose 15 of the candidates to receive the award. From these outstanding ASCs, one was selected to receive the distinguished award of CASA ASC of the Year.

CASA ASC of the Year

Salinas Surgery Center

Dr. Michael Stuntz, Chief Medical Officer, Veronica Ceja, Clinical Director, Carrie Millsap, CEO

Since 1995, Salinas Surgery Center has been a trusted hub for advanced surgical care in the Salinas Valley, serving more than 4,000 patients annually across a wide range of specialties. The center delivers comprehensive, minimally invasive procedures focused on exceptional outcomes, low infection rates, and faster recoveries. Newsweek has repeatedly recognized Salinas Surgery Center as one of the Top 50 ASCs in the nation.

Advocacy is a core priority—leadership and physicians regularly participate in ASCA Fly-Ins, meet with legislators in Sacramento, host legislative tours, and support the CASA PAC and other political fundraisers.

Committed to continuous improvement, the center drives quality and safety through nationally recognized certifications, advanced training, and a strong culture of ongoing education.

Deeply connected to the community, Salinas Surgery Center supports food insecurity relief through the Monterey County Food Bank and invests in youth wellness by funding Salinas High School athletics.

2025 CASA Award for ASC Excellence Winners

Coastal Surgical Institute

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Nancy Steffora, Administrator, Sharon Burton, Director of Nursing

Sutter Elk Grove Surgery Center

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Jeannine Graves, Administrator

Inland Surgery Center

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Oren Shill, Group Vice President, SCA Health, Michelle Mills, CEO, Michelle Aquilla, Director of Nursing

Precision Ambulatory Surgical Center

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Daisy Orzame, Lead Nurse, Cess Lim, Financial Controller, Sandra Lomeli, Director Revenue Cycle, Benita Tapia, Director of Nursing, Zeina Alhaid, Lead Nurse, Jackie Martinez, Lead Nurse, Denise Robyn Regis, QUAPI Coordinator