DENVER -- Surgery centers across the Denver metro area are seeing a spike in business after the expired contract between United Healthcare and Health One was not renewed this month.

While patients scrambled to find alternative care, doctors were also caught in the midst of the contract dispute. Many of them turned to surgery centers as places to perform surgery on their patients giving them alternatives.

Ambulatory surgery facilities like Healthsouth Surgery Center in Aurora have long been a favorite with many doctors and patients, but with the United Healthcare and Health One impasse, they are becoming even more popular.

"There are going to be more United Health patients coming from our practice to a facility like this," said Dr. Stephen Batuello.

"Monday was another large day for us. We did 31 cases yesterday," said Rosalie Bodenhamer of Healthsouth Surgery Center.

While smaller than a hospital, the Healthsouth center has six operating rooms and can handle about 40 patients a day. Doctors said quality is not compromised at surgery centers.

The surgery centers go through the same accreditation process as hospitals do.

"For outpatient work, these facilities are fantastic," said Batuello.

"I've been getting great care. I've probably been getting more one-on-one care," said patient Wendy Moran.

Healthsouth said it is often more cost-effective.

"We can easily do the cases for about a third to a half of what they're being done in acute care settings," said Bodenhamer.

Many Colorado doctors are credentialed at many different places, so patients with United Healthcare should not assume they have to switch doctors.