Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1242960
32 PRACTICE MANAGEMENT Kansas hospital specializing in spine surgery closes, 100+ healthcare workers to be laid off By Alan Condon A private Kansas hospital specializing in spinal fusion proce- dures recently closed its doors and terminated all employ- ees, KCUR reports. Pinnacle Regional Hospital in Overland Park, Kan., formerly known as Blue Valley Hospital, and all its satellite clinics have shuttered. In February, the hospital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but the added financial difficulties inflicted by the COVID-19 pan- demic has forced it to close for good. Some administrative staff will continue working, but more than 100 physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers will be laid off over the next two weeks. Cooper County Memorial Hospital in Boonville, Mo., which also spe- cialized in spinal fusion procedures as part of Hollywood, Fla.-based Pinnacle Healthcare System, closed in January. n Florida orthopedic practices combine, become 150-provider supergroup: 5 things to know By Laura Dyrda T wo large orthopedic practices in Florida have merged into a supergroup, becoming the big- gest orthopedic group in Florida. Five things to know: 1. Florida Orthopaedic Institute merged with Clear- water, Fla.-based OrthoCare Florida. The combined entity includes 150 providers and 17 locations across the Tampa Bay Area. 2. MD Healthcare Partners in Tampa, Fla., led the merger and will provide executive management ser- vices to the new entity. The group aims to continue growth across the state of Florida. 3. In addition to its multiple offices, the group has eight-affiliated outpatient ASCs and two orthopedic urgent care centers. It also offers physical therapy, di- agnostic imaging, rehabilitation and chiropractic care. 4. The practice will remain physician-led and have a corporate infrastructure for employees. All employ- ees were retained in the merger. 5. Florida Orthopaedic Institute will continue its affil- iation with local hospitals and its residency and fel- lowship program with the University of South Florida post-merger. n $209M Sanford expansion to add orthopedic hospital, 2 clinics By Alan Condon S ioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health outlined plans March 3 to build an orthopedic hospital and two clinics as part of a $209.5 million expansion over the next three years, reports the Argus Leader. The expansion aims to boost the health system's existing services lines to keep up with demands of the growing pop- ulation. Located at the health system's main campus, the 163,000-square- foot orthopedic hospital will feature 12 operating rooms. Con- struction will begin in summer 2021 with opening expected by 2023. The project includes a 42,000-square foot clinic in Southeast Sioux Falls — due for completion in 2021 — that will provide care to the city's outskirts and Northwest Iowa. The second clinic, a 16,000-square-foot facility in Harrisburg, S.D., will break ground in spring and open in a year. Both clin- ics will feature family medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and a Lewis Drug center. Sanford Heart Hospital is also undergoing an expansion, add- ing 16 patient rooms, and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The health system is in the midst of a back and forth legal battle with neurosurgeon Wilson Asfora, MD, who was fired for allegedly violating anti-kickback laws by using devices from two companies he owned. Last month, Dr. Asfora filed a wrongful termination suit, claiming he was a victim of vindic- tive colleagues. n