Orlando Health Business Update from Sherrie Sitarik: Physician Associates

(January 2, 2013) - Orlando Health’s partnership with Physician Associates is now final. Orlando Health can now offer a network of specialists, hospitals and facilities for doctors at Physician Associates to refer their patients. Our partnership with Physician Associates will allow us to work very closely with primary care physicians to focus on keeping patients healthier and will strengthen Orlando Health’s position in the new healthcare marketplace.

View this video to connect the dots about how this partnership strategically integrates Orlando Health in a clinical network during a very challenging time in the healthcare industry.

More About the Acquisition of Physician Associates

The transaction includes Orlando Health’s purchase of two legal entities owned by Physician Associates; the professional practice and a management services organization. Physician Associates will continue to operate as a for-profit entity much as it does today in collaboration with Orlando Health. For patients of Physician Associates, there will be no detectable changes. Patients’ doctors, offices, benefits, co-pays, or other out-of-pocket expenses will remain the same.

"We wanted to make certain that with this acquisition, patients of Physician Associates continued to receive the same great level of care as they had prior to the purchase,” said Erik Walker, M.D., Chairman of the Board of Directors of Physician Associates. “We have achieved that goal and, in the process, enhanced the care Physician Associates patients who require hospitalization at an Orlando Health facility will receive.”

Physician Associates and Orlando Health have been collaborating on a number of initiatives to enhance patient care for over a year. In September of 2011 the two organizations announced the implementation of joint programs to address the four most common chronic diseases facing our patients: diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Since its launch, the program has helped better manage the symptoms of patients who suffer from these ailments, which in turn has helped these patients avoid repeat visits to the hospital. When they have had to be hospitalized, the collaboration has resulted in better continuity of care between the patient’s doctor and the hospital.

"As healthcare transitions from an industry that responds only to illness, to one that proactively manages chronic conditions, encourages healthy lifestyles, and fosters wellness, this acquisition positions both organizations for the future,” said Wayne Jenkins, MD, president of Orlando Health Physician Partners, the Orlando Health division that administers physician relations, education, alignment and quality. “This acquisition will expedite that process, making the transition faster and smoother so patients benefit.”

Copy this link into your phone's browser to watch this video anytime, anywhere: http://orlandohealth.wistia.com/medias/kmtxjwp29t