Sutter Health Among 3 North Bay Outpatient Facilities Recognized for High-Performing Care

U.S. News & World Report, long known for its annual rankings of colleges, hospitals and more, has released its second-annual 2025 Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers ratings.

Ambulatory surgery centers, also known as outpatient surgery centers and same-day surgery centers, provide diagnostic services and procedures that don’t require an overnight hospital stay. Some of the most common procedures include colonoscopies, cataract surgeries, hip and knee replacements, and surgical treatment of enlarged prostate, according to U.S. News.

For its 2025 report released March 18, U.S. News evaluated more than 4,000 ambulatory surgery centers across the country. Fewer than 17% earned a “high performing” rating.

“We used three years of Medicare data to evaluate these surgical centers using criteria that includes how successfully they avoided complications, ER visits, unplanned hospitalizations and other undesirable outcomes,” U.S. News stated.

Three of those top-rated outpatient facilities are in the North Bay.

They are Sutter Health’s Santa Rosa Surgery and Endoscopy Center; NorthBay Health’s Surgery Center at NorthBay VacaValley; and North Bay Eye Associates in Santa Rosa, according to U.S. News.

Sutter’s Santa Rosa Surgery and Endoscopy Center ranked among the best for orthopedics and spine procedures.

The Santa Rosa facility was one of 10 Sutter ambulatory surgery centers in the state to be recognized by U.S. News, according to the Sacramento-based health care system. It operates 38 ambulatory surgery centers, with plans for continued growth.

“We’re meeting patients in their neighborhoods, offering safe and convenient care, where and when they need it,” Sutter Surgery Center Division CEO Bradley Heaton said in the health care system’s March 18 press release.

Orthopedic and spine procedures performed in U.S. News’ top-rated ambulatory surgery centers were on average 30% less likely to result in an ER visit, and on average 40% less likely to require a post-procedure inpatient admission compared to all ambulatory surgery centers analyzed.

For ophthalmology procedures, patients on average had a 54% lower postoperative complication rate based on severity, compared to all ambulatory surgery centers U.S. News evaluated.

North Bay Eye Associates in Santa Rosa and NorthBay Health’s Surgery Center at NorthBay VacaValley in Vacaville ranked among the best for ophthalmology procedures, according to U.S. News.

“This honor is a testament to our commitment to providing compassionate, convenient and high-quality surgical care,” Heather Resseger, senior vice president, chief hospital operations officer and chief nursing officer, said in a statement. “From registration to recovery, we strive to serve our community by delivering the right care at the right time in the right setting.”

Dr. William Bartlett, medical director at North Bay Eye Associates, expressed appreciation for the recognition from U.S. News.

“Our dedicated doctors and staff work tirelessly to provide state-of-the-art, compassionate care to every patient,” Bartlett said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing our commitment to serving our patients and community with excellence and care."

U.S. News did not award any North Bay area ambulatory surgery centers in the colonoscopy, endoscopy or urology categories.

California has 95 ambulatory surgery centers in the state — the most in the country, according to U.S. News.

U.S. News & World Report has evolved over the years since its 1933 founding. In 1983, it began producing hundreds of rankings within multiple categories.