Baton Rouge, La. In an $11 million deal, Amedisys Inc. has sold two of its six ambulatory surgery centers, one in Houston and the other in Pasadena, Texas, to United Surgical Partners International, Dallas.

The sale reflects Amedisys' intent to focus on its core business of home health nursing, said William Borne, chairman and chief executive officer. "We will continue to work toward the divestiture of our remaining four surgery centers, as well as our infusion therapy division, to become a pure play home health nursing company," he said.

Borne said the sales should allow the company to "take full advantage of the opportunities before us with the implementation of the prospective payment system." The new reimbursement system for home health agencies went into effect Oct. 1.

Meanwhile, Amedisys reported a loss of $1.4 million, or 47 cents a share, for the second quarter ended June 30 compared with a loss of $2.9 million, or $1.29 a share, for the same quarter a year earlier. Company officials credited a cost-cutting restructuring for the improvement.