Becker's Spine Review

29 PRACTICE MANAGEMENT 4 $100M projects involving orthopedic practices By Alan Condon E xpansions are rife within the orthopedic industry in 2021. Here are four $100 million projects in the works that involve orthopedic groups: 1. Cheektowaga, N.Y.-based UBMD Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine is working with Buffalo, N.Y.-based Kaleida Health to finalize plans for a $100 million medical office building and surgery center. Brian McGrath, MD, a total joint specialist, is leading the project for the 40-physician group. 2. Akron, Ohio-based Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center is opening a $100 million hospital for orthopedic, reconstructive and plastic surgery in the fall. The 165,000-square-foot facili- ty in Fairlawn, Ohio, will include 60 private patient rooms and 12 operating rooms equipped with Stryker's Mako system and the ExactechGPS system for joint replacement procedures. 3. In February, Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth broke ground on a $100 million medical office building that will be Rothman Orthopaedic Institute's Florida headquarters. The 12-story, 300,000-square-foot facility will be at Advent- Health's Health Village campus in Orlando, Fla. 4. Neenah, Wis.-based Neuroscience Group and ThedaCare and Hand to Shoulder Center of Wisconsin, both in Appleton, are developing a $144 million orthopedic and spine center. The 230,000-square-foot facility will include a medical office building, surgery center and a 25-bed orthopedic and spine hospital. It is expected to open in 2022. n $160M spine, orthopedic hospital breaks ground in Colorado By Alan Condon C entura Health broke ground May 24 on a $160 million hospital in Colorado Springs, Colo., that will specialize in spine and orthopedic care, according to The Gazette. St. Clare Hospital will span 140,000 square feet and employ about 400 people. It will comprise 64 inpatient beds, eight critical care beds, 10 operating rooms with robotic technology and 30 beds for pre- and postoperative care. A medical office building and a surgery center are included in the first phase of the development, according to the report. St. Clare Hospital will be operated by Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, a unit of Centura Health that also operates St. Francis Medical Center and Penrose Hospital, both in Colora- do Springs. The hospital is slated to open in March 2023. n Orthopedic surgeons countersue Adena in contract dispute By Laura Dyrda T hree orthopedic surgeons have filed a countersuit against Adena Health System in Chillicothe, Ohio, alleging the system retaliated against them and breached their employ- ment contracts, according to a May 23 report in the Chillicothe Gazette. e health system sued former employed surgeons Brian Co- hen, MD, Aaron Roberts, MD, and James ompson, DO, April 12, alleging they breached their contracts by urging other physicians to resign from the system. e three surgeons filed a motion May 13 to dismiss Adena's civil suit, arguing the health system doesn't have viable cause to support its allegations. e surgeons also filed a countersuit May 11, alleging the health system breached employment contracts, retaliated against them, slandered them and violated antitrust laws. e surgeons made 14 claims, and nine include $25,000 or more in damages, according to the report. Six details from the surgeons' countersuit: 1. e tensions between the surgeons and administration began in 2017 when Adena hired a new CEO and COO, Jeff Graham and Kathi Edrington. e health system then brought on locum tenen physicians, or temporary physicians, to treat patients in the bone and joint center despite concerns raised by physicians in the orthopedic and sports medicine division. e lawsuit alleges ad- ministrators "scolded and belittled physicians" for their concerns. 2. Dr. Cohen lost his position as medical director of the system's bone and joint center in June 2020 in what he said was retalia- tion for complaints against the administration. 3. Dr. ompson and Dr. Cohen urged Adena's management to take more physician input in decisions and reported lack of confidence in the administration. e countersuit alleges they were threatened with termination if they continued making complaints. 4. Adena claimed in its lawsuit that the three orthopedic sur- geons tried to persuade other physicians to leave the system late last year. e countersuit claims the 18 providers who re- signed from Adena in the last six months made their decisions independently. 5. Adena terminated the three orthopedic surgeons April 12, and their countersuit alleges Adena directed employees to spread misinformation about them to their patients, which would hinder their ability to practice in the area aer the non- compete clauses in their contracts expired. 6. e surgeons accuse Adena of antitrust violations in the countersuit, arguing the health system aims to monopolize the market. n

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