Guarantor (Balance Sheets) (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 42,413,000	$ 46,398,000	$ 44,320,000	$ 40,718,000
Accounts receivable, Net	101,503,000	96,752,000
Supplies inventory	18,106,000	18,406,000
Deferred income taxes	978,000	3,088,000
Prepaid and other current assets	30,142,000	27,537,000
Total current assets	193,142,000	192,181,000
Property and equipment, net	163,189,000	166,612,000
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	16,876,000	11,274,000
Total assets	2,042,372,000	2,044,586,000
Liabilities and Equity
Current portion of long-term debt	19,942,000	17,407,000
Total current liabilities	77,934,000	84,413,000
Long-term debt	603,409,000	620,705,000
Deferred income taxes	147,125,000	137,648,000
Other long-term liabilities	26,677,000	25,972,000
Noncontrolling interests - redeemable	175,709,000	175,382,000
Equity:
Total AmSurg Corp. equity	698,964,000	689,488,000
Noncontrolling interests - non-redeemable	312,554,000	310,978,000
Total equity	1,011,518,000	1,000,466,000
Total liabilities and equity	2,042,372,000	2,044,586,000
Parent Company [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	4,763,000	7,259,000	8,807,000	8,530,000
Accounts receivable, Net	0	0
Supplies inventory	0	0
Deferred income taxes	978,000	3,088,000
Prepaid and other current assets	23,249,000	19,342,000
Total current assets	28,990,000	29,689,000
Property and equipment, net	9,266,000	9,199,000
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	1,414,727,000	1,413,061,000
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	20,837,000	21,311,000
Total assets	1,473,820,000	1,473,260,000
Liabilities and Equity
Current portion of long-term debt	8,629,000	5,357,000
Accounts payable	1,024,000	1,379,000
Other accrued liabilities	23,820,000	29,380,000
Total current liabilities	33,473,000	36,116,000
Long-term debt	583,571,000	599,423,000
Deferred income taxes	147,125,000	137,648,000
Other long-term liabilities	10,687,000	10,585,000
Noncontrolling interests - redeemable	0	0
Equity:
Total AmSurg Corp. equity	698,964,000	689,488,000
Noncontrolling interests - non-redeemable	0	0
Total equity	698,964,000	689,488,000
Total liabilities and equity	1,473,820,000	1,473,260,000
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, Net	0	0
Supplies inventory	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Prepaid and other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	0	0
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	1,383,795,000	1,381,596,000
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	1,383,795,000	1,381,596,000
Liabilities and Equity
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Other accrued liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	0	0
Long-term debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Noncontrolling interests - redeemable	0	0
Equity:
Total AmSurg Corp. equity	1,383,795,000	1,381,596,000
Noncontrolling interests - non-redeemable	0	0
Total equity	1,383,795,000	1,381,596,000
Total liabilities and equity	1,383,795,000	1,381,596,000
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	37,650,000	39,139,000	35,513,000	32,188,000
Accounts receivable, Net	101,503,000	96,752,000
Supplies inventory	18,106,000	18,406,000
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Prepaid and other current assets	11,838,000	13,160,000
Total current assets	169,097,000	167,457,000
Property and equipment, net	153,923,000	157,413,000
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	1,148,000	1,206,000
Total assets	324,168,000	326,076,000
Liabilities and Equity
Current portion of long-term debt	11,313,000	12,050,000
Accounts payable	22,853,000	26,035,000
Other accrued liabilities	15,239,000	15,177,000
Total current liabilities	49,405,000	53,262,000
Long-term debt	50,770,000	52,747,000
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	15,990,000	15,387,000
Noncontrolling interests - redeemable	62,250,000	61,939,000
Equity:
Total AmSurg Corp. equity	110,054,000	108,412,000
Noncontrolling interests - non-redeemable	35,699,000	34,329,000
Total equity	145,753,000	142,741,000
Total liabilities and equity	324,168,000	326,076,000
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, Net	0	0
Supplies inventory	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Prepaid and other current assets	(4,945,000)	(4,965,000)
Total current assets	(4,945,000)	(4,965,000)
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	(2,781,646,000)	(2,783,383,000)
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	1,647,180,000	1,652,002,000
Total assets	(1,139,411,000)	(1,136,346,000)
Liabilities and Equity
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	(4,133,000)	(3,905,000)
Other accrued liabilities	(811,000)	(1,060,000)
Total current liabilities	(4,944,000)	(4,965,000)
Long-term debt	(30,932,000)	(31,465,000)
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Noncontrolling interests - redeemable	113,459,000	113,443,000
Equity:
Total AmSurg Corp. equity	(1,493,849,000)	(1,490,008,000)
Noncontrolling interests - non-redeemable	276,855,000	276,649,000
Total equity	(1,216,994,000)	(1,213,359,000)
Total liabilities and equity	(1,139,411,000)	(1,136,346,000)
Consolidated Entities [Member]
Assets
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	1,669,165,000	1,674,519,000
Liabilities and Equity
Accounts payable	19,744,000	23,509,000
Other accrued liabilities	$ 38,248,000	$ 43,497,000