“For many years we’ve practiced office-based endoscopy within our professional practices; however, now is the perfect time to develop a new state-of-the-
art facility. The regulatory environment within the office is becoming more and more difficult, and the headaches that result from trying to maintain a high quality, office-based procedural environment are no longer satisfying to me or my GI colleagues”, stated Herman Kleinbaum, MD, Co-Medical Director of HVCDH.

The new space will provide just what the physicians, hospital and community needs, a 4,500 square foot endoscopic ambulatory surgery center with 2 procedure rooms. “We are excited about the anticipated opening this summer of Hudson Valley Center for Digestive Health. This partnership with a coalition of highly talented GI physicians, Hudson Valley Hospital Center and Physicians Endoscopy will provide a new level of comfortable and convenient health care services to this community.” says Frank Principati, COO of Physicians Endoscopy and board member of HVCDH.

“We have been very pleased with Physicians Endoscopy’s ability to help organize, coordinate and execute a strategy to bring together our two practices and the hospital. We initially met with PE in November 2010 and immediately recognized their ability to make this happen for us” states Eric Teitel, MD, Co-Medical Director HVCDH.

“The opening of HVCDH will mark the occupancy of the last available office space in our new Medical Office Building which includes offices for cardiologists, orthopedic surgeons, surgical oncologists, plastic surgeons, a women’s imaging center as well as a comprehensive cancer care center,” said John Federspiel, President, Hudson Valley Hospital Center. “This broad array of physicians right on our campus is a great complement to our newly constructed surgery center which offers state-of-the-art digital operating rooms and an expanded same-day recovery suite.”

The center will tentatively open in August of 2012 and serve the Cortlandt Manor area of Northern Westchester and Putnam Counties.

Hudson Valley Center for Digestive Health

3:00 PM Eastern
2:00 PM Central
1:00 PM Mountain
12:00 PM Pacific

Learn how you can increase your center’s value, even if you are not ready to sell your ASC. Center profitability isn’t just about getting a high multiple. We will discuss ways to increase your center’s profitability, benchmarking used to determine a center’s value and simple solutions to problems that many ASCs face that hold it back from really making financial strides all while maintaining the highest standards of patient safety and quality care.

Receive answers to some of the most prominent questions asked today, such as:

• How do I position my ASC to maximize value and get a high multiple?
• Is it reasonable to get a high multiple and expect the management company later to dilute their share?
• How do I evaluate whether a proposed management services fee is fair and reasonable?
• When it comes to GI, will a management company with a single-specialty focus be a better fit than a multi-specialty management firm?

In this brief, but jam-packed session, we will be discussing performance measurement, performance improvement ideas and successes our partnered facilities enjoy. If you ever have difficulty in these areas, this will be a great opportunity to hear some good ideas and ask questions from one of the leading ASC management firms with experience to share.

sign up

Colorectal cancer screening is covered under Medicare, but if a Medicare patient undergoes a screening in which a polyp is removed, that individual is required to pay a coinsurance of $100 to $300! H.R. 4120, the ‘‘Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2012” will correct this problem. The bill would waive coinsurance under Medicare for colorectal cancer screening tests, regardless of whatever surgical measures might occur.

We need cosponsors for this legislation if it is to pass into law & YOU can help!

Anytime from March 26 – 30, 2012, call 1-866-615-3375 to be connected to your U.S. Representative. When you reach his/her office, simply say:

• Your name and where you live.
• Please cosponsor HR 4120, the Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2012.
• Because Medicare beneficiaries should not be subject to unexpected coinsurance payments for colonoscopy screening.

And that’s it!

Wait! That’s not it! Get your friends and family to do the same! The more people who call Congress about this urgent issue, the better chance the bill has to succeed

While no one can be certain what caused the cancer so early Hayes made changes he saw necessary, such as modifying his diet and moving out of city in order to fight back against his stage IV colon cancer. He has also been undergoing chemotherapy since he received the bad news in November.

When we at PE read this article, we thought about how important it is for people to listen to their bodies. And as physicians, you have the ability to instill this importance in your patients. Hayes is speaking out about the importance of screening, “If I had caught it early, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”

See the full CNN article here: http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/22/health/wade-hayes-colon-cancer/index.html?iref=allsearch

This five-room endoscopy center is a joint venture with Beth Israel Medical Center and Physicians Endscopy. It is conveniently located in the Carnegie Hill area of New York City, and is situated closely to the physicians’ practices.

In this competitive environment, it is important for hospitals to align themselves strategically with physicians in the delivery of health care to the communities. Beth Israel recognizes the value of these relationships, and this venture is one example of such a partnership. “We are delighted to participate in this important project. Many of the physicians involved are new to our provider base, and we welcome the contributions they will bring to the project,” stated Adam Henick, Senior Vice President of Ambulatory Care at Continuum Health Partners and a member of the facility’s board of managers.

“This new center is a state-of-the-art facility in every respect. This beautiful new facility was developed to help us meet the changing needs of our patients. CHE is strategically located for the convenience and comfort of our patients,” stated Peter Chang, MD, a member of the facility’s board.

In this competitive environment, it is important for hospitals to align themselves strategically with physicians in the delivery of health care to the communities. Beth Israel recognizes the value of these relationships, and this venture is one example of such a partnership.

“We are tremendously excited about our partnership with Beth Israel Medical Center along with a highly talented coalition of GI physicians to develop a second center in Manhattan. This project represents our fifth project in the state of New York, and the third hospital joint venture.  Upon opening, CHE will become the 19th partnered facility to join the PE family,” stated John Poisson, Executive Vice President of Physicians Endoscopy and a member of the facility’s board of managers.

1516 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY

 Anyone wishing to donate to this worthy cause can visit the website and click on “Donate or Fundraise”
http://www.getyourrearingear.com/events/list/2012/philadelphia-pa-2012/

Here are a few ideas that our centers are implementing for March:

• Colorectal cancer informational brochures available in the lobby of their buildings making information available to everyone, not just their existing patients
• Display colorectal cancer awareness posters in the lobbies of each building
• Team participation in various colon cancer awareness events such as “Get Your Rear in Gear.” Check out the site to see if there is a run close to you: http://www.getyourrearingear.com/
• Advertising in local papers
• Offering patient-companions reading material to get them thinking about scheduling their own screening

This is a great opportunity to do two very important things: 1) educate your community to make them aware of this potentially deadly disease, 2) promote awareness of you and your practice’s roles with regard to colorectal cancer screening, prevention and treatment.

Dr. Louis LaLuna, Medical Director at BCDH and Representative Jim Gerlach

WYOMISSING, PA – February 10, 2012, Congressman Jim Gerlach (PA-6^th District) visited Berks Center for Digestive Health (BCDH) in Wyomissing, PA.

Gerlach sits on the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, whose jurisdiction includes bills and matters referred to the Committee on Ways and Means that relate to programs providing payments for health care, health delivery systems, or health research. More specifically, the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Health includes bills and matters that relate to the health care programs of the Social Security Act .

As part of his responsibilities on the Subcommittee, he toured the endoscopy center to learn more about how ambulatory surgery centers are an integral part of the health care delivery system in the United States.

During his visit he met with the center staff and spoke with Louis La Luna, MD, Medical Director at BCDH and President of the PA Society of Gastroenterology. Gerlach’s visit was timely, as it precedes Colon Cancer Awareness month in March.

“I think it was wonderful that Congressman Gerlach took time out of his busy schedule to visit Berks Center for Digestive Health. It sends a clear message to the people of our community that they need to be vigilant in taking preventative measures in terms of their health and that screening for colon cancer is a very important step.”  La Luna added, “It was a great opportunity for all of us and for BCDH to showcase our state-of-the-art center and top-notch staff, and an even greater opportunity to reach out to our community to welcome them to our center for their screenings.”

BCDH has definitely expanded access to high quality GI care in Berks County, PA and that has had a positive impact on the well-being of its residents. In the ten years it has been in operation, BCDH has distinguished itself amongst ambulatory endoscopy surgery centers in a number of ways. “We are very proud of the quality of care we provide at BCDH. It is documented that we provide some of the best care possible to our community,” states Dr. Louis La Luna, Medical Director of the facility and President of the Pennsylvania Society of Gastroenterology.

Dr. Louis LaLuna, Medical Director BCDH and President, PA Society of Gastroenterology

“When we meet as a medical staff and review quality indicators such as infection rates, patient satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness, we find that our facility is a top performer in comparison to like facilities. That takes a lot of work, and we are fortunate to have a great team of professionals here locally and at Physicians Endoscopy who are committed to excellence.” BCDH has never had a post-procedure infection reported. Patients consistently report either “very good” or “excellent” on 90% of satisfaction surveys when asked to comment on the care received. The comfort and convenience of the facilty, as well as the compassion of the staff further enhance the feeling of safety and security that the patients have when visiting. BCDH always strives to give a high quality, unique experience. The physicians and staff of the Center and the professional practice associated with it are very active in community service in Berks County; they seek to spread the word about colon cancer prevention. The primary outlet for education in the community and service activities is through the American Cancer Society (ACS). The group actively participates in and sponsors ACS’s Relay for Life, Daffodil Days, and Concert for a Cause. ACS gives the group a stage from which they can share their message of the importance of colon cancer screening, and the group has taken advantage of that. BCDH’s administrator, John Gleason, MMHS, CASC, CMPE completed a two-year stint as the President of the ACS’s Volunteer Board inSeptember. “We were recently recognized as the recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award bestowed by President Barack Obama for ‘helping to address the most pressing needs in [our] community and our country.’ This is one of our greatest sources of pride and achievement. The ACS’s local service arm nominated our group for the award as a result of many years of sponsorship and participation in their events for the purpose of fighting cancer. Working with the ACS fits our mission and exemplifies how BCDH is making a difference in the community.”

BCDH will continue in this partnership and others in an effort to prevent disease and give back to the community it serves.

Dr. La Luna shared, “We feel fortunate to live and work in the Berks County community and look forward to many more years of service to its people.”

“We developed this beautiful new facility to help us meet the changing needs of our patients. AZWEC is strategically designed and located for the convenience and comfort of our patients. To help us meet and exceed our goals, we teamed up with Physicians Endoscopy (PE), one of the nation’s premier developers and managers of endoscopic ambulatory surgery centers. We chose PE because we wanted to ensure that AZWEC

would be among the best facilities of its kind anywhere in this area. Now we are proud to announce the official opening of our surgical facility conveniently located near our professional practice locations. We have made substantial investments in each of our practices and in our continued ability to deliver the highest quality care to our patients,“ stated Hector Rodriguez, MD, Medical Director and member of the board of directors at AZ West Endoscopy Center.

“We are tremendously excited about our partnership with this strong group of four GI physicians to develop another center in Arizona. This represents our second project in the state of Arizona, and AZWEC is the 20th partnered facility to join the PE family. “The PE Team is completely committed to helping the physicians deliver the safest possible services to their patients. Working with the physicians and learning about their commitment to their community has been very rewarding,” stated Carol Stopa, Vice President of New Business Development.

AZ West Endoscopy Center | 1850 North 95th Ave | Suite 190 | Phoenix, AZ