“Blue Ridge Bone
& Joint” merges with three NC practices to form one of the state’s
largest physician-owned orthopaedic practices
In a common
mission to provide streamlined, patient-centered care, four independent orthopaedic
physician groups across North Carolina have joined together to form a new
practice called EmergeOrtho. With 49 office locations in 21 counties statewide,
EmergeOrtho is one of the largest physician-owned orthopaedic practices in the
country. Additional practices are poised to join during a second phase of
expansion projected for early 2017. The
combined practices include 126 physicians and 237 physician assistants, nurse
practitioners and therapists. With the projected 2017 expansion, there will be
approximately 170 physicians in the practice.
The
practices that combined to create EmergeOrtho are: Blue Ridge Bone & Joint of Asheville, Hendersonville and Arden;
Carolina Orthopaedic Specialists
with offices in Alexander, Burke, Caldwell and Catawba counties; OrthoWilmington with offices in New
Hanover, Brunswick and Onslow counties; and Triangle Orthopaedic Associates of the greater Raleigh-Durham area.
The four practices will begin operating
under the EmergeOrtho name on August 1, 2016. Patients of each individual group
practice should see no interruption in their care and services.
“We
are very fortunate to be creating an alliance of four well-established
physician practices with excellent reputations,” said Thomas Dimmig, MD,
President of Triangle Orthopaedic Associates, who is also serving as president
of the new group. “We united in order to preserve the private practice model, a
standard of care that puts the patient first. The integrated group will allow
these physicians to remain independent and provide their own higher quality,
lower cost care.”
Integrating
their network across North Carolina, all EmergeOrtho offices will use the same
Electronic Health Records system. Patients treated for injury while on
vacation, for example, can follow up with an EmergeOrtho provider in their
hometown who has seamless access to their medical chart.
Dimmig
emphasized that the new organization will continue to build on proven
strategies and implement programs that improve outcomes and lower costs for
patients. Ancillary services such as diagnostic imaging and physical therapy
are available in most EmergeOrtho locations, and 12 offices provide MRI.
Orthopaedic urgent care centers in 14 locations address emergent orthopaedic
needs as a prompt, less expensive alternative to the ER. Additionally, each
group is committed to the present and future alternative payment concepts, such
as risk-sharing bundled payments, and all accept a broad range of insurance
options.
“We
chose the name EmergeOrtho because it describes the group’s mission,” said
Dimmig. “The goal of orthopaedics is for patients to emerge from treatment,
healed from debilitating pain or limited motion. Through excellent care,
patients can emerge stronger and healthier, better able to lead an active
life.”
“EmergeOrtho
is the result of nearly two years of collaborative, collegial effort among the
groups and their physician leadership,” said Charles Wilson, CEO of Triangle
Orthopaedic Associates and acting CEO of EmergeOrtho. “While we have created a
new statewide group practice, we remain committed to serving our patients and local
communities by providing the highest quality care and services our patients
have come to know and trust.”
“I
am thrilled with the outcome of the work that independent orthopaedic surgeons
across the state have put into creating EmergeOrtho. Blue Ridge Bone & Joint, now EmergeOrtho,
is positioned to continue to offer our patients the highest possible level of subspecialized,
state of the art, orthopaedic care as we move into the future,” said John Hicks
MD, president of Blue Ridge Bone & Joint.
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