Objectives: To compare patient demographics between a parent surgical center and its satellite location to investigate potential disparities in access to care.

Methods: A retrospective review identified patients who underwent surgical treatment within four surgical subspecialties at our institution in 2019. Patients were grouped by treatment location: parent hospital or satellite. Analyses compared patient demographics and Child Opportunity Index (COI) scores between both locations.

Results: Of the 5,402 patients included, 2,219 (41.1%) were treated at the parent hospital and 3,183 (58.9%) at the satellite. The satellite treated a higher proportion of White patients than the parent center (79.4% vs 66.1%; p< 0.001). The parent hospital treated a greater proportion of Hispanic patients (p< 0.001) and patients with public insurance (p<0.001). The satellite had a significantly higher mean COI score than the parent hospital (77.9 vs 69.9, p< 0.001).

Conclusions: Differences in patient demographics were observed between the parent hospital and its satellite; the satellite treated a greater proportion of White patients, non-Hispanic patients, and patients with private insurance. Mean COI scores were higher at the satellite, suggesting patients seen at that location may live in more resourced neighborhoods. Findings demonstrate the need for intentional and continued efforts to ensure that satellites broaden the scope of surgical access to reduce barriers for marginalized patients and provide more equitable care.