Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1471343
28 JOINT VENTURES Surgery Partners, ValueHealth ink partnership By Marcus Robertson B rentwood, Tenn.-based Surgery Partners is joining with ValueHealth to expand access to high-value surgical care. The companies said in a May 3 news release that the partnership will aim to build new ASCs and deploy Val- ueHealth's value-based surgical programs across Surgery Partners' current and in-development locations. Through the agreement, Surgery Partners will also manage and as- sume ValueHealth's interest in three ASCs and four more in development. Surgery Partners' growth in orthopedics is expected to synergize with ValueHealth's musculoskeletal-focused programming to create a comprehensive suite of ortho- pedic services. The partnership will also aim to capitalize on cardiology's migration to outpatient settings. "This partnership will be an accelerator to expand access to high-value surgical care, which is in heavy demand by employers and patients," Don Bisbee, president and CEO of ValueHealth, said in the release. "Additionally, our specialty service line programs and employer engage- ment platform will add significant value for physicians who seek to maintain their independence, allowing them to benefit from the quality outcomes they create while generating savings for those who pay for the care." n Virginia health system plans outpatient facility By Riz Hatton R ichmond, Va.-based VCU Health is planning an outpatient facility as part of an upcoming mixed- use development in Chesterfield, Va., Richmond BizSense reported May 9. The mixed-use development project is a joint venture between Dunphy Properties and Shuler Properties. In ad- dition to the ASC, the development plans include com- mercial space, residential units, a hotel and more. VCU Health is expected to buy a portion of the project site for its facilities, according to Richmond BizSense. The addition of the outpatient facility would expand VCU Health's Chesterfield presence where it already has a pri- mary care office, an orthopedic clinic and other facilities. The project is expected to break ground in June. n ASC platform lands health system investment By Laura Dyrda B anner Health, a Phoenix-based health system, invested in surgery center development company Atlas Healthcare Partners. Atlas previously formed a joint venture with Banner in 2018 to develop and operate ASCs in Arizona, Colorado and Wyoming, triggering a 155 percent volume growth and 475 percent revenue growth. The partnership took Atlas from eight ASCs to 26 centers nationwide. The most recent investment will help the Banner-Atlas joint venture grow to more than 50 ASCs by the end of 2025. "We're excited to expand our partnership with Banner," said Aric Burke, CEO of Atlas. "Our multilevel partner- ship with Banner serves as an innovative model for other health systems seeking to develop and imple- ment a fully integrated ASC strategy that aligns all par- ties: health system, management company, physicians, patients and communities." Scott Nordlund, Banner's chief strategy and growth officer, said the new investment takes the partnership beyond regional and local ASC development to align at the management company level. n SSM Health will create 1,200-physician group with St. Louis acquisition By Patsy Newitt S t. Louis-based SSM Health has acquired the SLU- Care Physician Group, local NBC affiliate KSDK reported May 1. The transaction, expected to close this summer, will create a group of more than 1,200 physicians. SLUCare's more than 600 physicians will become an academic physician division within SSM Health. The sale will also generate an investment in the Saint Louis University School of Medicine, according to KSDK. n